AMHERST, N.Y. (WKBW) — As school attendance rates continue to lag behind pre-pandemic levels, educators and community leaders across Western New York are working to address a growing concern: chronic absenteeism.
For students like Asia Collins, a junior at CPC Day School, getting to class isn’t always simple.
“Struggling with health issues, dealing with at home, thinking about the stress of coming to school, things that can trigger them… bullying… it could make it a struggle on the way to school,” Collins said.
Her experience reflects a broader trend playing out across the state.
According to a 2024 report from the New York State Comptroller, about one in three students in New York are considered chronically absent—meaning they miss at least 10 percent of the school year. The issue is even more pronounced in large city school districts, where more than half of high school students fall into that category.
Buffalo Public Schools is one of many districts trying to reverse that trend. Earlier this year, Superintendent Dr. Pascal Mubenga announced a monthly attendance lottery, where students who miss one day or less can be entered to win cash prizes. The program is funded by Say Yes Buffalo, not district dollars.
WATCH: School attendance struggles persist across Western New York as districts look for solutions
District leaders say the goal is to rebuild consistent attendance habits, but acknowledge the challenges go far beyond motivation.
“We have parents that work night shift or day shift, and they depend heavily on some of the older siblings to take care of the younger siblings,” said Catrice Shaw-Huff, Buffalo Public Schools’ family engagement supervisor. “I’d be sitting here for a while if I could tell you all the different reasons.”
Those reasons include housing instability, transportation issues, mental health challenges, and poverty—factors community organizations say are impacting students across the region.
“We have a really, incredibly high homeless population for students here in Erie County… mental health challenges, substance use disorder, poverty… all of those things add up to some of the reasons why students don't feel safe and engaged in school,” said Tara Burgess, CEO of EPIC – Every Person Influences Children.
The consequences of chronic absenteeism can follow students long after they leave the classroom.
“Student attendance… impacts their education, their literacy skills, graduation rates, and the types of jobs that they're able to get,” Burgess said.
For Collins, solutions start with communication and understanding.
“There’s better ways that we can go about it… just have a sit down talk,” she said.
Leaders say reversing attendance trends will take more than one initiative. While programs like Buffalo’s attendance lottery may help encourage some students, many agree a broader, community-wide approach is needed to address the root causes keeping students out of school.
