Indiana K-12 chronic absenteeism rate declines for fourth year. Indiana Education Secretary Katie Jenner speaks to the State Board of Education on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026. Hoosier students are slowly returning to their pre-pandemic attendance patterns: Indiana’s K-12 chronic absenteeism rate declined for the fourth consecutive year to just shy of 15% in 2026, the State Board of Education learned Wednesday. Students are considered chronically absent if they miss 10% or more of the school year, the equivalent of 18 school days or three weeks of classes. Chronic absenteeism peaked in Indiana K-12 schools at 21% in 2022 — twice the pre-pandemic rate. Excessive absences are most acute in high school, with 30% of seniors missing at least 10% of days for the 2025-26 school year. Student focus groups conducted by the Indiana Department of Education found the most common explanation for poor attendance was a belief that school wasn’t relevant, Education Secretary Katie Jenner said.