Chronic student absenteeism — defined as when an individual misses at least 10 percent of school days — was 13 percent in 2020-21, according to the latest School Performance Reports released by the New Jersey Department of Education.
In 2018-19, the last school year when chronic absenteeism was reported, the figure was 11 percent.
New Jersey Monitor’s Dana DiFilippo takes a closer look at the latest numbers.