# KDE launches blog series on chronic absenteeism crisis **Published:** 2026-08-11T17:40:06.000Z **Source:** [Kentucky Teacher](http://www.kentuckyteacher.org/news/2026/08/new-blog-series-chronic-absenteeism-in-kentucky/) **AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) **Canonical:** https://feeds.lexingtonky.news/article/kde-launches-blog-series-on-chronic-absenteeism-crisis The Kentucky Department of Education has launched a new blog series addressing what [Kentucky Teacher reports](https://www.kentuckyteacher.org/news/2026/08/new-blog-series-chronic-absenteeism-in-kentucky/) is one of the state's most pressing educational challenges: chronic absenteeism. [According to KDE](https://www.education.ky.gov/school/Pages/Chronic-Absenteeism.aspx), the series examines how attendance has changed since the COVID-19 pandemic, the factors driving chronic absenteeism, and statewide efforts to reconnect students and improve attendance outcomes. The inaugural post, "Beyond a Definition—The True Scale of Kentucky's Attendance Crisis," written by Leslie McKinney, a researcher and strategic data analyst for KDE, highlights how chronic absenteeism has transformed from a concern affecting a relatively small number of schools before the pandemic into a statewide challenge impacting nearly every community. [KDE defines chronic absenteeism](https://www.education.ky.gov/school/Documents/Chronic%20Absenteeism%20Frequently%20Asked%20Questions.pdf) as students missing 10 percent or more of enrolled school days for any reason. In the 2024-2025 school year, the chronic absenteeism rate in Kentucky was 25 percent, a significant increase from pre-pandemic levels. The initiative comes as Kentucky schools continue to grapple with attendance disruptions that began during the pandemic. [KDE is partnering with REL Appalachia](https://ies.ed.gov/learn/blog/attendance-matters-collaborative-effort-address-chronic-absenteeism-kentucky) to deliver training and coaching that strengthens district and school leaders' capacity to improve student attendance and engagement. The state has set a goal to reduce the chronic absenteeism rate to 15 percent by the end of the 2028-29 school year. The series is part of KDE's broader "Attendance Matters!" campaign, which addresses not only absenteeism but the underlying barriers students and families face in maintaining consistent school attendance. ## Sources - [Kentucky Teacher](http://www.kentuckyteacher.org/news/2026/08/new-blog-series-chronic-absenteeism-in-kentucky/) - [Kentucky Teacher - NEW Blog Series: Chronic Absenteeism in Kentucky](https://www.kentuckyteacher.org/news/2026/08/new-blog-series-chronic-absenteeism-in-kentucky/) - [Kentucky Department of Education - Attendance Matters!](https://www.education.ky.gov/school/Pages/Chronic-Absenteeism.aspx) - [Kentucky Department of Education - Chronic Absenteeism Frequently Asked Questions](https://www.education.ky.gov/school/Documents/Chronic%20Absenteeism%20Frequently%20Asked%20Questions.pdf) - [Institute of Education Sciences - Attendance Matters! A Collaborative Effort to Address Chronic Absenteeism in Kentucky](https://ies.ed.gov/learn/blog/attendance-matters-collaborative-effort-address-chronic-absenteeism-kentucky) --- This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from Kentucky Teacher, enriched with 2 web searches. The original source is available at http://www.kentuckyteacher.org/news/2026/08/new-blog-series-chronic-absenteeism-in-kentucky/.