America’s Public Schools Have an Empty-Desk Problem

America’s Public Schools Have an Empty-Desk Problem – The Heritage Foundation

"Chicago Public Schools reported more than 40 percent of students as chronically absent in the 2024-25 school year. Ninth-graders logged 48.5 percent chronic absenteeism, while seniors hit an astonishing 72 percent. These numbers are not random. They are the predictable result of a government-run monopoly that faces no real competition, and therefore has little reason to meet the needs of families or keep students interested in attending."

America’s Public Schools Have an Empty-Desk Problem

Chronic absenteeism is defined as a student missing 10 percent of classes, roughly 18 days in a typical school year. About one in five American kids now fall into that category. In New York City public schools, the figure climbs to roughly one in three.Chicago Public Schools reported more than 40 percent of students as chronically absent in the 2024-25 school year. Among black students, the rate hit 45 percent; among Latino students it reached 4…