DeSoto County chronic absenteeism rate surpasses state average as Mississippi numbers rise
JACKSON, Miss. – As Mississippi’s public schools see a continued rise in chronic student absenteeism, DeSoto County’s rate has climbed to 31.6%, significantly outpacing the new statewide average, according to the 2024-25 Chronic Absenteeism Report released by the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE).
The statewide chronic absenteeism rate rose to 27.6%, an increase from 24.4% in the previous school year. This represents 120,408 students across Mississippi who missed at least 10% of instructional time.
In DeSoto County, one of the state’s largest districts, the problem is more pronounced. The 31.6% rate means 11,336 of the district’s 35,850 students were chronically absent in the 2024-25 school year. This is a sharp increase from the district’s 26.82% rate in the 2023-24 school year.
Chronic absenteeism is defined as missing 18 or more school days for any reason, including excused and unexcused absences.
“When students are not in school, they are missing valuable instruction from their teachers and social interaction with their peers,” said Dr. Lance Evans, state superintendent of education. “Missing 18 or more days of school has serious consequences for academic achievement and long-term success. We need families, educators and community partners to join forces to combat chronic absenteeism.”
The MDE report indicates that a dramatic jump in absences among high school students is driving the statewide increase. While rates declined in elementary and middle schools, the high school chronic absenteeism rate surged from 30% to 39%.
The MDE is implementing several strategies to combat the issue, including deploying school attendance officers, promoting its “Every School Day Counts – Attend to Achieve” awareness campaign, and planning a Statewide Chronic Absenteeism and Dropout Prevention Conference for September 2025.
Mississippi’s chronic absenteeism rate hit a pre-pandemic low of 13% in the 2018-19 school year. The current figures reflect a persistent challenge that intensified nationally following the COVID-19 pandemic.
