This story was originally posted on MyNorthwest.com
Attendance is improving across Washington schools.
State Superintendent Chris Reykdal said about 73% of Washington students attended school regularly last year, meaning they missed no more than 18 days — including both excused and unexcused absences.
Near-perfect attendance in WA schools each day
According to a news release from Reykdal’s office, 90% of students are in school each day.
“Students who attend school regularly are more likely to graduate on time, perform better on state assessments, have higher grade-point averages, and are less likely to experience behavioral challenges,” the release said.
“When students aren’t in school, they miss more than just academics — they miss out on relationships, routines, access to supports, and the sense of belonging that public education is meant to provide,” said Reykdal. “If we are serious about improving student learning and performance, we have to also focus on improving attendance.”
Reykdal delivered a message to students during a news conference last month, emphasizing the importance of showing up.
“We want you at school every day,” he said. “The real world demands your attention on work or family or faith or whatever it is on a regular basis, and coming in and coming out is detrimental to learning, so stay in school, stay focused on that, attend every day.”
Statewide attendance last year was up 5.6 percentage points from the 2021‑22 school year, which marked the lowest attendance levels during the pandemic.
But rates still haven’t returned to pre‑pandemic levels.
Frank Lenzi is the News Director for KIRO Newsradio. Read more of his stories here.