Newark’s chronic absenteeism rate drops to 8.5%. Here’s what district leaders say is working.

Newark's chronic absenteeism rate for the 2025-26 school year dropped to a historic low of 8.5%, according to district leaders. This represents the most significant improvement in the district's recent history. The rate had declined from 27% in the 2018-19 school year to 10% in the 2024-25 school year, a sharp turnaround. The improvements were observed across all student populations, with Black students and students with disabilities experiencing the most notable gains, as reported by Rochanda Jackson, the district's executive director of the Office of Data and Research.

The decrease puts Newark ahead of the state, which had a chronic absenteeism rate of 14.4% for the 2024-25 school year. Superintendent Roger León attributed the progress to a series of strategies implemented since he took office in 2018. These initiatives include reviving the attendance department, developing individualized intervention plans for at-risk students, forming a truancy task force, and distributing district-wide attendance updates.

León also mentioned the state's recent change in how chronic absenteeism rates are calculated, which has resulted in more students being counted as present in the calculation. The district continues to use the "Give Me Five" campaign, which requires employees to call families of five students to encourage their attendance on the first day of classes.

They also have incentive programs offering gift cards and hockey tickets to students who improve their attendance. Despite these efforts, the district acknowledges that homeless students remain disproportionately affected, with a chronic absenteeism rate of 25% in the 2024-25 school year, nearly double the district's overall 8.5% rate.