As city leaders battle over the future of Chicago’s failing school system, a stunning fact is being ignored: Truancy and absenteeism in the elementary grades are crippling the education of tens of thousands of students.
Nearly 32,000 Chicago students in public elementary schools miss four weeks or more of class in a year, as the cash-strapped district does little to stem a devastating problem.
Growing poverty is fueling truancy in the youngest grades across Illinois, yet schools are finding ways to fight the problem despite dwindling resources and weaknesses in state law.
Yajaira Rivera of Chicago and Alex Frausto of LaSalle have already racked up months of absences. With their futures on the line, will they vanish from school altogether?
An epidemic of empty seats in Chicago elementary schools undermines efforts to boost achievement and costs the district millions in attendance-based funding. Tribune reporters Gary Marx and David Jackson investigate.
“I have a million reasons why I could have dropped out at any time — legit reasons,” says Nickii Ledcke. But the 18-year-old insists she will find a way to graduate this year.
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12.9%of all students |
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20.4%of black students |
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8.3%of Hispanic students |
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6.7%of white students |
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Chicago school officials have tried but largely abandoned various methods of combating truancy in grades K-8 during the last two decades.
In Illinois, children aren't required to attend school until they turn 7, when most students are starting second grade. There is also little oversight of parents who claim to be home schooling their children.
Percentage of students who missed at least four weeks of school
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Emotional disorder 42.2% |
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Learning disability 15.4% |
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Other disability 21.7% |
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No disability 11.9% |
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