State Superintendent Carey M. Wright said the rate reached 22.8% in the 2025-26 school year, down from 30.9% in 2021-22. Students are considered chronically absent if they miss at least 10% of school days. The statewide rate remains above its pre-pandemic level, and the burden varies sharply among communities.

The latest county-level figures available, for 2024-25, show Baltimore City had Maryland’s highest rate, at 46.4%. Frederick County had the lowest, at 16.7%. Dorchester, Somerset and Allegany counties also had among the state’s highest rates.

The problem is not evenly distributed among students. State data for 2024-25 showed chronic absenteeism among 36% of economically disadvantaged students, compared with a statewide average of 25.2%. Rates were 31.1% for Hispanic and Latino students and 30.5% for Black students, compared with 18.2% for white students and 13.1% for Asian students.

Candidates who responded to a 2026 school board questionnaire described missed school as both an educational challenge and a reflection of conditions outside the classroom. Kent County candidate Zeke Falcon said absences can mean lost instruction, weaker connections with teachers and peers, and a greater risk of disengagement. Baltimore City candidate Kwame Jamal Kenyatta-Bey called attendance a gateway to other educational outcomes.

Transportation came up across urban, suburban and rural districts. Baltimore City candidates Jamar Day and Domonique Flowers said getting students to school is a significant obstacle. Candidates in Harford, Somerset and Prince George’s counties also cited transportation problems.

Prince George’s County candidate Jamie McGonnigal cautioned that threatening families can worsen the problem when they are dealing with unreliable transportation. Other candidates pointed to housing instability and hardship at home. Charles County candidate Jason Henry said some rural students lack basic resources, including food, running water, electricity or reliable internet.

Candidates offered different approaches. Day urged the board to make attendance a systemwide priority, while Flowers proposed first concentrating efforts on schools with the highest absence rates. Day and Kenyatta-Bey also called for more transparent, timely data so districts can respond before the end of the school year.

Some districts have reported progress through attendance campaigns. Baltimore County candidate Lisa Mack credited the district’s “Here For It” initiative, launched four years ago, with helping reduce chronic absenteeism. Mack said the county recorded a nearly 6.3% decrease in 2024. The effort combines targeted messaging with work to identify barriers and support students and families.

In Wicomico County, candidate David Plotts pointed to the “Arrive to Thrive” campaign, which uses billboards, informational materials and public service announcements to encourage attendance. Plotts said the county’s attendance rate rose from 89% to 93% over several years. He said schools should keep communicating with families, connect them with community resources and recognize improved attendance.

Wright announced a statewide effort, “Maryland Shows Up!,” in September. The initiative includes monthly attendance monitoring, a statewide policy framework requiring each school system to adopt a comprehensive attendance policy, and additional resources for schools and student groups with higher absence rates. Planned measures include earlier intervention, cross-department teams, more family alerts and outreach, and collecting information from families about why students miss school.

For Kenyatta-Bey, improving attendance also means examining students’ experiences at school. “Attendance is not merely a compliance issue,” he said. “It is also a measure of whether our schools are giving students a compelling reason to be there.”