More than 350,000 New York City public school students missed at least 10% of school days during the last academic year, according to a recent Manhattan Institute analysis. That translates to about 35% of the city’s student body, a figure education experts say should alarm parents and policymakers alike.
The absenteeism numbers track closely with another troubling trend: declining test scores. Despite New York State pouring more money into education than ever before, math and reading proficiency rates remain stubbornly below pre-pandemic levels. Only a small fraction of 4th and 8th-graders are meeting proficiency standards in either subject.
The spending, meanwhile, keeps climbing. Governor Kathy Hochul announced $35.3 billion in total education aid for fiscal year 2025, an $825 million increase over the previous year. Foundation Aid alone got a $507 million boost. New York now spends roughly $36,000 per student annually, the highest rate in the nation.
Critics argue the math doesn’t add up. Teachers’ unions have negotiated generous benefit packages that continue pushing costs higher, they say, while student achievement lags. The state is spending more but getting less.
So what’s driving kids to skip school? The pandemic fundamentally changed how many families think about attendance. What once seemed non-negotiable now feels optional to some parents. But the problem runs deeper than shifting attitudes. Housing instability, economic pressure, and ongoing health concerns have hit vulnerable communities especially hard, making it difficult for some families to maintain consistent attendance even when they want to.
Chronic absenteeism, defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, includes excused absences, unexcused ones, and suspensions. Every absence counts.
Education specialists say schools need to get tougher on attendance policies while also making classrooms places students actually want to be. That means safe, engaging environments and teachers who take ownership of keeping kids engaged. The New York City Department of Education has rolled out various programs and support services, both in schools and in the community, to get students back in their seats.
Whether any of it will work remains an open question. But with test scores falling and absenteeism rising, the city’s education establishment is running out of time to prove that record-breaking spending can translate into actual learning.