States / Kentucky

Chronic absence in Kentucky

Where things stand, what state rules ask of each role, and what is changing. For school and district leaders.

School year 2024-25

25%

of students were chronically absent²

Chronically absent means missed 10% or more of their time in school, including both excused and unexcused absences.²

U.S. rate: 22.6% (2024-25)⁹

Five-year trend

Kentucky, year by year

Kentucky chronic absence by school year
School year	Chronically absent
2018-19	18%
2020-21	22%
2021-22	28%
2022-23	29.8%
2023-24	28%
2024-25	25%

Dashed bars mark years the state did not publish a rate.

Where things stand

The numbers

In 2024-25, 25% of Kentucky students were chronically absent, the state education department reports. That is down from 28% in 2023-24 and 29.8% in 2022-23².
Before the pandemic, the rate was much lower: 18% in 2018-19, in AEI's compilation of state-reported data¹.
The state counts a student as chronically absent when they miss 10% or more of their time in school, including both excused and unexcused absences².
Gaps remain. In 2022-23, about 31% of Black students were chronically absent, 1.16 times as likely as their peers, according to an EdTrust analysis¹⁰.
The department has set a goal to cut the average statewide absenteeism rate from 25% to 15% by 2029⁴.
Nationally, 22.6% of students were chronically absent in 2024-25, so Kentucky's 25% that year was higher than the national rate^9,2.

Requirements by role

What state rules ask of each role

Teachers

Each teacher must keep an approved record showing the attendance, recitations, classification and grading of every pupil who attended during the school year, and leave it with the superintendent, or as the superintendent directs, at the close of the term. Instead, approved attendance records for state accounting and state computation of attendance may be kept in a central location in the local elementary or secondary school. After the classroom teacher reports and records attendance, a certified or noncertified person must complete and check the records in accordance with the methods and regulations approved by the local superintendent and the chief state school officer, and a designated certified person within that school is responsible for auditing and certifying the state attendance documents¹¹.
Elementary schools must take attendance once each day before instruction starts. Middle and high schools must take attendance by class period and keep a pupil entry and exit log at each school¹².
Pupils must be physically present to be counted in attendance, except in cases the state rule lists, such as a co-curricular instructional activity authorized by the local board or court-ordered services outside the classroom¹².
A pupil is counted absent or tardy even when the cause is beyond the pupil's control, such as bad weather or the transportation system failing to run. But a pupil riding a district school bus or vehicle is not tardy if the bus or vehicle arrives after the school day begins¹².
When a child of compulsory school age withdraws, the child's teacher must find out why and immediately send the withdrawal and the reason to the district superintendent. If the child moved, the report must include the next residence¹³.

Counselors

A local school board may include in its attendance policy excused absences for a student's mental or behavioral health status¹⁴.
A local board may adopt policies to work with the courts, the Department for Community Based Services, the Department of Juvenile Justice, regional community mental health centers and other service providers on early intervention and prevention programs, such as truancy diversion, truancy boards, mediation and alternative dispute resolution, to reduce referrals to a court-designated worker¹⁵.

Attendance team

The director of pupil personnel, or an appointed assistant, must enforce the compulsory attendance laws, find the causes of irregular attendance and truancy through documented contact with the student's custodian and seek to remove them, and keep enrolled students in reasonably regular attendance¹⁶.
The director must also acquaint the school with the home conditions of a habitual truant, and the home with the work of the school, and attempt to visit the homes of students reported to need books, clothing or parental care¹⁶.
A student who has turned six (6) but not reached their eighteenth birthday, or an enrolled public school student who has turned eighteen (18) but not reached their twenty-first birthday, is a truant after three (3) or more days absent without valid excuse, or three (3) or more days tardy without valid excuse. A student reported as a truant two (2) or more times is a habitual truant. The record is cumulative for the whole school year, and a receiving school must add a transfer student's attendance information¹⁵.
Before any proceedings against a parent, the director must serve a written notice of the violation, by certified mail with return receipt or in person, and give one (1) day to end it. If the violation continues or happens again in the same school term, no further notice is needed²¹.
In any action to enforce attendance, the director must document the student's home conditions and the interventions tried. For kindergarten to grade 5, a parent who lets the child miss fifteen (15) or more days without excuse in a school year must be reported to the county attorney for a decision on court intervention, if any. For grades 6 through 12, a habitual truant (as defined in KRS 600.020: found by the court to have been reported as a truant two (2) or more times during a one (1) year period) with fifteen (15) or more unexcused days in a school year must be reported to the county attorney; if a complaint is filed with the court-designated worker, then upon the completion of the preliminary intake inquiry for a minor alleged to be a habitual truant who is alleged to have been absent without excuse for fifteen (15) or more days during a school year, the worker must refer the complaint to the county attorney, who refers it for formal court action or to be handled under another subsection of that law. A court-designated worker may not accept a habitual truancy complaint unless an adequate assessment of the child was done under the director's duties to learn the home conditions, find the causes of the absences and attempt home visits, unless the child's failure to participate prevented it^{16,17,18,19,20}.

Principals & districts

The principal or teacher in charge of each school must report the names, ages and places of residence of all pupils in attendance, and any other facts the superintendent requires, to the district superintendent within two (2) weeks of the start of each school year²².
The local board of education must decide by policy what counts as an excused and an unexcused absence. A board may also adopt reasonable policies that require truants and habitual truants to make up unexcused absences and impose sanctions for noncompliance^12,15.
When a student at least 15 but under 18 drops out or is academically deficient, the school administrator or designee must notify the superintendent, at the end of each semester or earlier for accumulated absences. A student with nine (9) or more unexcused absences in the preceding semester counts as dropped out, and absences due to suspension are unexcused. Within ten (10) days, the superintendent must report the student to the Transportation Cabinet, which notifies the student that the driving license or permit has been revoked or denied and of the right to a court hearing²⁴.
A principal, teacher, director of pupil personnel or other school officer who intentionally fails to comply with the attendance laws (KRS 159.010 to 159.250, or KRS 160.330) can be fined $25 to $50. A convicted director of pupil personnel must be removed from office and lose the certificate; a principal or teacher may lose the certificate²³.

Recent changes

What changed lately

House Bill 257, passed in the 2026 legislative session and signed into law by the governor, reshapes the state's assessment and accountability system and prioritizes student attendance in it^5,6,7.
Under the bill, chronic absenteeism took the place of the quality of school climate and safety indicator in the accountability system⁵.
The department has told superintendents to expect accountability changes for the 2026-2027 school year⁸.
To carry out the bill, the department proposed an amendment to the accountability regulation, 703 KAR 5:270. The state superintendents advisory council recommended approval, and the regulation's second reading was set for the state board's Oct. 7-8 meeting, followed by a public comment period once the board approves it⁵.

Accountability

How the state holds schools to it

Chronic absenteeism is now an indicator in Kentucky's state accountability system, in place of the quality of school climate and safety indicator⁵.
Under KRS 158.6455, as the department describes it, a student is chronically absent when they miss 10% or more of school time for excused or unexcused reasons throughout the school year⁵.
The superintendents advisory council recommended counting a student's attendance toward a school or district's accountability only after at least 100 days of enrollment in the district, and counting only the days a student is enrolled in that district⁵.
How much weight each indicator carries, including chronic absenteeism, has been a focus of discussion as the regulation amendment is drafted⁵.
The department's goal is to reduce the average statewide absenteeism rate from 25% to 15% by 2029⁴.

What’s working

Efforts with results

The statewide rate fell from 28% in 2023-24 to 25% in 2024-25. The department had been ramping up community outreach for two years, and the education commissioner credited schools' steps and the department's awareness efforts with making a difference^2,3.

Working on chronic absence in Kentucky?

Agenteach helps counselors, teachers, and attendance teams follow up with students who are missing school, and keeps a record of every step.

Book time Become a pilot school

Sources

American Enterprise Institute (Nat Malkus). From Attendance Crisis to Chronic Condition? Tracking Post-Pandemic Chronic Absenteeism into 2025, Table A3. State-Reported Chronic Absenteeism Data, by State, School Years 2017-25 (columns 2017 to 2025 by spring year: 2017 = 2016-17 is blank, then 2018 = 18%, 2019 = 2018-19 = 18%, 2020, 2021 = 2020-21 = 22%, 2022 = 2021-22 = 28%, 2023, 2024, 2025; rates rounded to whole percent) (opens in a new tab) (2026-06-30)
Kentucky Department of Education (Kentucky Teacher, the department's news site). KDE releases 2024-2025 assessment and accountability data (opens in a new tab) (2025-11)
Kentucky Department of Education (Kentucky Teacher, the department's news site). Signs of progress and optimism for the road ahead (Commissioner's Comments) (opens in a new tab) (2025-12)
Kentucky Department of Education (Kentucky Teacher, the department's news site). Eastern Kentucky districts gather for first Reducing Chronic Absenteeism in Kentucky workshop (opens in a new tab) (2026-04-07)
Kentucky Department of Education (Kentucky Teacher, the department's news site). Local Superintendents Advisory Council signs off on second reading of assessment and accountability regulation (opens in a new tab) (2026-10-07)
Kentucky Department of Education (Kentucky Teacher, the department's news site). Commissioner discusses newly signed House Bill 257 during Superintendents Webcast (opens in a new tab) (2026-04-21)
Kentucky Department of Education (Kentucky Teacher, the department's news site). Legislature passes House Bill 257, now waiting for governor's signature (opens in a new tab) (2026-04-09)
Kentucky Department of Education (Kentucky Teacher, the department's news site). Kentucky superintendents discuss assessment and accountability following House Bill 257 (opens in a new tab) (2026-06)
American Enterprise Institute (Nat Malkus). From Attendance Crisis to Chronic Condition? Tracking Post-Pandemic Chronic Absenteeism into 2025 (opens in a new tab) (2026-06-30)
EdTrust. Kentucky: chronic absenteeism policies and numbers (2022-23 data) (opens in a new tab) (2026)
Kentucky Revised Statutes (FindLaw text, current as of January 01, 2025). KRS 161.200, Records to be kept by teachers (opens in a new tab) (2025-01-01)
Kentucky Administrative Regulations (Legal Information Institute text). 702 KAR 7:125, Pupil attendance (opens in a new tab) (current per LII)
Kentucky Revised Statutes (FindLaw text, current as of January 01, 2025). KRS 159.170, Withdrawals and transfers; teachers to investigate and report (opens in a new tab) (2025-01-01)
Kentucky Revised Statutes (FindLaw text, current as of January 01, 2025). KRS 159.035, excused absences (opens in a new tab) (2025-01-01)
Kentucky Revised Statutes (FindLaw text, current as of January 01, 2025). KRS 159.150, Definitions of truant and habitual truant; truancy policies (opens in a new tab) (2025-01-01)
Kentucky Revised Statutes (FindLaw text, current as of January 01, 2025). KRS 159.140, Duties of director of pupil personnel or assistant (opens in a new tab) (2025-01-01)
Kentucky Revised Statutes (FindLaw text, current as of January 01, 2025). KRS 600.020, Definitions for KRS Chapters 600 to 645 (opens in a new tab) (2025-01-01)
Kentucky Revised Statutes (FindLaw text, current as of January 01, 2025). KRS 610.030, Preliminary intake inquiry (opens in a new tab) (2025-01-01)
Kentucky Revised Statutes (FindLaw text, current as of January 01, 2025). KRS 630.020, Jurisdiction of court (opens in a new tab) (2025-01-01)
Kentucky Revised Statutes (FindLaw text, current as of January 01, 2025). KRS 630.060, Information confidential (opens in a new tab) (2025-01-01)
Kentucky Revised Statutes (FindLaw text, current as of January 01, 2025). KRS 159.180, Parents responsible for children's violations (opens in a new tab) (2025-01-01)
Kentucky Revised Statutes (FindLaw text, current as of January 01, 2025). KRS 159.160, Attendance reports to superintendent (opens in a new tab) (2025-01-01)
Kentucky Revised Statutes (FindLaw text, current as of January 01, 2025). KRS 159.990, Penalties (opens in a new tab) (2025-01-01)
Kentucky Revised Statutes (FindLaw text, current as of January 01, 2025). KRS 159.051, Loss of license or permit by student for dropping out of school or for academic deficiency (opens in a new tab) (2025-01-01)