Maryland’s chronic absenteeism rate fell again in the 2025-26 school year, marking the fourth consecutive year of decline and the lowest rate since the pandemic.
According to a recent press release from the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), Maryland’s chronic absenteeism rate fell to 22.8 percent in the 2025-26 school year, marking the fourth consecutive year of decline and the lowest rate since the pandemic. The rate has dropped from 30.9 percent in 2021-22, when chronic absenteeism reached its pandemic-era peak. Under the state’s definition, a student is chronically absent when they miss at least 10 percent of the school year. The latest data continue a trend documented by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), which has tracked gradual improvement since the 2021-22 school year.
MSDE is continuing efforts to improve attendance through its new Maryland Shows Up campaign, launched in September as part of Attendance Awareness Month. The initiative includes a new state recognition program for schools that reduce chronic absenteeism, along with public awareness efforts and resources for local school systems. MSDE has also established a State Attendance Task Force in partnership with Attendance Works and has provided school systems with attendance toolkits, analyzed school climate data, supported student mental health needs, and identified strategies used by community schools that could be replicated statewide.
