Hawaii Schools Reported High Chronic Absenteeism Rates

Data for the 2025-26 school year shows 23% of students missed 18 or more days of instruction.

Updated on Sept. 30, 2026 in Secondary Education

Bold vector editorial illustration showing an empty school desk in a sunlit hallway with tropical plants visible through nearby windows. — Hawaii public school absenteeism reached 23% in the 2025-26 academic year, a significant rise from the 14% rate recorded before the pandemic. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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During the 2025-26 academic year, 23% of Hawaii public school students were chronically absent. This figure marks a significant change from the pre-pandemic rate of 14%.

Why it matters

Rising absenteeism is linked to parental hesitation regarding student health and ongoing challenges with campus belonging and mental health support. Vulnerable student populations, including homeless individuals and English learners, face disproportionately high rates of missing class.

Statewide chronic absenteeism was 23%, an improvement from the 33% recorded in 2021. However, rates remain uneven, with over 50% of students in the Nānākuli complex and 40% in Big Island schools missing at least 18 days of school.

The players

Hawaii State Department of Education

This government entity is responsible for the oversight and administration of all public schools throughout the state.

The details

Chronic absenteeism is defined as missing 18 or more school days, a threshold reached by nearly half of homeless students and over a third of migrant and English learner students. While schools in the Kalani, Moanalua, and Radford complexes maintained a lower 11% rate, other districts on Oʻahu, Kauaʻi, Molokaʻi, and Lānaʻi continue to struggle with higher figures.

The pre-pandemic chronic absenteeism rate was 14%.
Statewide chronic absenteeism reached 33% in 2021.
During the 2025-26 academic year, 23% of students were chronically absent.

Culture Shift

The current 23% absenteeism rate shows a partial recovery from the 2021 peak of 33% recorded during the height of pandemic-era disruptions. This shift highlights a slow return to pre-pandemic school attendance norms across Hawaii classrooms.

Families may notice increased outreach from schools as districts work to improve attendance through new support programs. Parents are encouraged to review local school policies to understand how recurring absences impact student resources and mental health services.

The takeaway

Consistent school attendance is a fundamental driver of academic achievement and social development for students. Ensuring students feel a strong sense of belonging at school is a critical step in reversing current absenteeism trends.