Report: Chronic Absenteeism Plagues Boston Schools
BOSTON (AP) — New figures show that more than one-third of Boston's public high school students were chronically absent last year, including many who missed more than 20 percent of the school year.
The Boston Globe reports that chronic absenteeism has decreased from the 2006-07 school year, when 39 percent of Boston's high school students missed more than 10 percent of the year.
The new figures come even as Boston has undertaken more efforts to lure students to school. They include trying to appeal to students by using technology and hands-on projects during classes and enlisting volunteers to track down absentees.
Absenteeism rates were especially high at Brighton, Charlestown and East Boston high schools and Dorchester Academy.
The newspaper based its analysis on data obtained from the Boston School Department by public records requests.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.
