OLYMPIA—February 12, 2026—Last school year, about 73% of Washington students attended school regularly, meaning they missed no more than an average of two school days per month.

This is a 5.6 percentage point increase in student attendance since the 2021–22 school year, when attendance rates across the nation hit their lowest point during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Each day, about 90% of students are in school, learning alongside their peers. Students who attend school regularly are more likely to graduate on time, perform better on state assessments, have higher grade-point averages, and are less likely to experience behavioral challenges.

“When students aren’t in school, they miss more than just academics––they miss out on relationships, routines, access to supports, and the sense of belonging that public education is meant to provide,” said State Superintendent Chris Reykdal. “If we are serious about improving student learning and performance, we have to also focus on improving attendance.”

Washington state has had a longstanding commitment to improving student attendance. For years, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) has created attendance awareness communication materials for schools, provided opportunities for professional learning from experts and from peers, shared research and data, elevated best practices, and invested in evidence-based strategies for improving attendance. Across the state, school district leaders have shown a sincere commitment to improving attendance rates within their districts.

Recognizing the need to double-down on efforts to improve student attendance, last year, Superintendent Reykdal joined a national challenge to reduce chronic absenteeism by 50% in five years. The challenge is led by education advocacy and research groups Attendance Works, EdTrust, and American Enterprise Institute.

Across the state, more than 60 school districts have signed up to participate in the challenge (a list of participating districts is available on OSPI’s website). As part of the challenge, these school districts will come together with OSPI regularly over the next few years to problem-solve, share strategies, and learn from each other.

In the first collaboration meeting of the participating school districts last month, district leaders demonstrated their commitment to the challenge and to understanding why students are absent in order to more effectively support students to attend.

"Our hope is that this community of leaders becomes a place where we learn from one another's success and struggles and stay anchored in the belief that showing up is easier when students feel safe, supported, and connected,” Reykdal said.