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East Central Reporter

Tuesday, November 5, 2024

Truancy in Lawrence County districts decreased in 2021-22 school year

Webp jason helfer

Chief Education Officer Jason Helfer (2023) | Illinois State Board of education

Chief Education Officer Jason Helfer (2023) | Illinois State Board of education

Students in Lawrence County districts had a truancy rate of 12.8% in the 2021-22 school year, according to the Illinois State Board of Education. This was a decrease from the previous school year's rate of 14.6%.

There were 2,022 students enrolled in Lawrence County districts in the 2021-22 school year, of which 258 students were absent throughout the year.

The districts located in the county had a dropout rate 7.6%, which was 2.6% higher than the year before.

Across the county, Red Hill Community Unit School District 10 suffered the most truancy issues (14.8%) in the 2021-22 school year. Meanwhile, Lawrence County Community Unit School District 20 successfully recorded the lowest truancy rate in the region (13.4%).

Students are generally considered chronically truant if they miss 5% or more of the total number of school days in a year without acceptable excuses.

The main offices of all districts mentioned in the story are located in cities associated with Lawrence County.

In 2022, Illinois had 1,925,415 students enrolled in a total of 3,977 schools. There were 130,467 teachers in the public schools, or roughly one teacher for every 15 students, compared to the national average of 1:16.

K-12 enrollment has been declining in Illinois for many years, reflecting demographic changes. Combined public and private K-12 enrollment dropped 3% between the 2019–2020 and 2020–2021 school years (60,900 students), far more than the typical 0.5% to 1.5% annual enrollment declines in Illinois over the last five years.

Truancy vs Attendance Rates in Lawrence County Over 2 Years
2020-212021-220%20%40%60%80%100%Attendance rateTruancy rate

Lawrence County Districts Chronic Truancy Rates in 2021-22 School Year
DistrictNo. of students enrolledChronic truancy rates
Red Hill Community Unit School District 1094014.8%
Lawrence County Community Unit School District 201,08213.4%

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