ACNJ’s Testimony to Senate Education Committee on Chronic Absenteeism

Posted on February 6, 2025

On January 30th, Isaiah Fudge, Director of Positive Youth Development Policy and Advocacy and Nina Peckman, Staff Attorney, testified before the Senate Education Committee regarding on chronic absenteeism in New Jersey and ways to improve student attendance.

When juxtaposing 52 school districts in the state–the 26 wealthiest and 26 of the poorest–we see that the wealthiest districts often have a chronic absenteeism rate significantly lower than the state average, and the 26 poor districts usually have a rate that’s higher. For example, Haddonfield school district, one of the wealthiest districts in the state, has a 4.7% chronic absenteeism rate, while Camden schools, one of the poorest districts, has a rate of 40.7%. The poverty surrounding the schools in the poorest districts creates barriers to youth attendance.

1

One thing is clear, the time to address attendance issues effectively is as soon as they become an issue... We must start with a focus on the individual needs and circumstances of the child who is missing school to understand why that child is not attending school and to engage the child’s parents in a meaningful way to ensure the child receives an appropriate education.

1