New Jersey’s statewide chronic absenteeism rate was 14.4% in the 2024–25 school year. The rate has moved down from the levels reported in the years immediately after the pandemic, but it remains above the 10.6% recorded in 2018–19. New Jersey counts a student as chronically absent when the student is absent for at least 10% of the school days used in the state calculation.
New Jersey Chronic Absenteeism Rate
The New Jersey Department of Education reported a statewide chronic absenteeism rate of 14.4% for 2024–25. That was slightly below 14.9% in 2023–24 and lower than the 18.1% reported for 2021–22. NJDOE also notes that the rate has not yet returned to the pre-pandemic 2018–19 level of 10.6%. The latest statewide figure comes from the department’s 2024–25 school performance data release.
Percentage of New Jersey K–12 students included in the state chronic absenteeism calculation who were chronically absent.
NJDOE changed the student eligibility methodology beginning in 2024–25, so the newest rate is not calculated under exactly the same inclusion rules as the earlier rates.
| School Year | Chronic Absenteeism Rate |
|---|---|
| 2021–22 | 18.1% |
| 2022–23 | 16.6% |
| 2023–24 | 14.9% |
| 2024–25 | 14.4% |
The published 2024–25 rate is 3.7 percentage points below the 2021–22 rate and 3.8 points above the 2018–19 pre-pandemic rate cited by NJDOE. Because NJDOE changed the eligibility rules for 2024–25, the latest rate is not fully comparable with rates calculated under the earlier methodology.
How New Jersey Counts Student Absences
For state chronic absenteeism reporting, a student’s absentee rate is calculated by dividing the number of days absent by the total number of days present plus days absent. A student whose resulting absentee rate is 10% or higher is chronically absent. The school or district rate then measures the percentage of qualifying K–12 students who crossed that threshold.
The statewide figure means 14.4% of students included in the calculation were absent for at least 10% of their applicable school days. It does not mean New Jersey students collectively missed 14.4% of all instructional days.
Excused status also needs careful interpretation. An absence that a local school district classifies as excused can still count as an absence in New Jersey’s state chronic absenteeism calculation. State-excused absences recognized under New Jersey rules are excluded from the chronic absenteeism calculation. The applicable methodology is described in the 2024–25 New Jersey School Performance Reports Reference Guide.
The population used for the statewide measure also changed in 2024–25. For the current School Performance Reports absenteeism calculation, a student must have at least 90 total days present or absent at a school during the school year. Students meeting that threshold can be included whether or not they remained active at the end of the year. Before 2024–25, the published calculation generally required at least 45 days present or absent and active enrollment at the end of the school year. NJDOE did not recalculate the older rates using the new rule.
Overall school, district and student-group chronic absenteeism rates use students in kindergarten through grade 12. Pre-K students are not part of those overall rates, although preschool information may appear separately in grade-level reporting.
Enter days enrolled and days absent to see whether the 10% chronic-absence threshold has been reached.
Chronic Absenteeism and Truancy Measure Different Things
10% of school days
A state reporting measure based on the amount of school missed. Locally excused and unexcused absences can both contribute to the calculation.
10+ unexcused absences
An attendance-law category based on cumulative unexcused absences and the district’s attendance policy.
A student may be chronically absent without meeting New Jersey’s truancy definition. For example, enough locally excused absences can push a student’s absentee rate to 10% while the student remains below 10 cumulative unexcused absences.
New Jersey requires district boards of education to define which absences count as unexcused for truancy purposes. Current state regulations define truancy as 10 or more cumulative unexcused absences. The regulations are contained in N.J.A.C. 6A:16-7.6.
What Happens as Unexcused Absences Accumulate
New Jersey’s attendance regulations require schools to respond before a student reaches the truancy threshold. The response becomes more structured as cumulative unexcused absences rise.
- Up to four cumulative unexcused absences: the district must make a reasonable attempt to notify the parent, determine the cause and identify needed action to help the student return to regular attendance.
- Five through nine cumulative unexcused absences: the district must continue its attendance response and develop an action plan based on the student’s pattern of absences and needed interventions.
- 10 or more cumulative unexcused absences: a student between ages 6 and 16 is considered truant under the attendance regulation, and the district must determine whether a court referral is needed while continuing work with the family and involved agencies.
Reaching the tenth unexcused absence does not automatically send a case to court. The regulation requires the district to determine whether a court referral is needed based on the attendance situation and applicable requirements.
New Jersey’s compulsory education requirements generally apply to children from age 6 until age 16. NJDOE maintains the current state attendance statutes, regulations and implementation resources on its Student Attendance page.
The 10% Schoolwide Corrective Action Rule
When 10% or more of the students enrolled in a New Jersey public school are chronically absent, N.J.S.A. 18A:38-25.1 requires the school to develop a corrective action plan to improve absenteeism rates.
The corrective action plan must address attendance barriers, recommendations for addressing those barriers, communication with parents, procedures for engaging families when absence patterns emerge and a review of school attendance policies. Parent input is also part of the statutory process.
The plan is presented to the board of education and reviewed and revised annually until the school’s chronic absenteeism rate falls below 10%. This schoolwide rule is separate from the individual-student definition: one measures whether a student missed at least 10% of applicable school days, while the other looks at the percentage of students in an entire school who meet that definition.
Finding Attendance Data for a New Jersey School or District
The statewide rate does not describe every local school. Chronic absenteeism can vary considerably between schools, districts, grade levels and student groups.
The New Jersey School Performance Reports provide school-, district- and state-level information. The 2024–25 reports were publicly released in May 2026 and include updated absenteeism reporting.
When comparing two schools or reviewing a local trend, use the same school year and the same metric. A school’s chronic absenteeism percentage and a general attendance percentage measure different things. Locally reported absence counts may also serve different purposes or use different classifications from the state chronic absenteeism measure.