New NJ task force aims to pull students back into classrooms

📜 Legislation signed that creates task force to combat chronic absenteeism

📉 Absenteeism remains near 15% statewide and close to 40% in urban districts

🔍Task force will study barriers to boost attendance.

TRENTON — A bill to tackle chronic absenteeism in New Jersey schools has been signed into law by Acting Governor Tahesha Way.

New Jersey law creates chronic absenteeism task force

The legislation sponsored by Sens. Shirley K. Turner and Angela V. McKnight to create the Chronic Absenteeism Task Force will examine the causes of persistent student absences and develop strategies to improve attendance across New Jersey’s public schools.

Task force to study post-pandemic attendance trends in NJ schools

Under the new law, comprised of an 18-member task force to include education professionals, school leaders, and parent advocates appointed by the governor, legislative leadership, and the Commissioner of Education, the task force will compare current absenteeism rates with pre-COVID-19 pandemic data to see if there is a link.

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It will also conduct a root cause analysis of absences, examining issues such as barriers to attendance, aversion to and disengagement from school, the role of health issues, as well as mental health, school climate, family, and financial struggles.

Urban school districts hardest hit by chronic absenteeism

“Chronic absenteeism is one of the most serious challenges facing our schools today, particularly in urban communities where students often face barriers far beyond the classroom,” said Turner (D-Mercer).

When students are not consistently in school, they miss critical learning opportunities and fall further behind, she added.

Attendance crisis persists in Trenton, Camden and Paterson

The task force will help to identify national best practices that can be implemented statewide and develop strategies to strengthen family engagement and promote consistent school attendance.

“This task force will turn research into results, crafting smart policies that address real challenges and deliver real change,” said McKnight (D-Hudson).

Chronic absenteeism, defined as missing 10% or more of the school year, has surged nationwide since the pandemic.

In New Jersey, the rate peaked at 18.1% in the 2021-22 school year and declined to nearly 15% in the 2023-24 school year.

However, it remains very high in urban districts, at nearly 40%, in places like Trenton, Camden, and Paterson.

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