Students are considered “chronically absent” if they miss more than 10% of school days.
After a few years of improvement, more than 20% of SFUSD K-8 students were chronically absent in 2025 — a slight increase from last year.
The state on the other hand, has been making progress on absenteeism. California’s rate of students missing school dropped to its lowest point since before the pandemic — 17%.
And because state funding is tied to attendance, more missed school days means fewer dollars in a district’s pocket. Last school year, SFUSD said it lost over $60 million in state funding due to student absences.
California updates its school dashboard every year. You can explore it online to see how your school or district is performing.
Additional data is available on the state's DataQuest dashboard, which includes high school absenteeism data.
