NEW JERSEY – The Senate Education Committee Monday advanced legislation sponsored by Senators Shirley K. Turner and Angela McKnight to create the Chronic Absenteeism Task Force.
This 18-member body will examine the root causes of student absenteeism and deliver bold, actionable recommendations to boost attendance across New Jersey’s public schools.
The task force will include education professionals, school leaders, and parent advocates appointed by the Governor, Legislative Leadership, and the Commissioner of Education. Their charge is to study trends in chronic absenteeism, with particular attention to the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on student engagement.
“Chronic absenteeism undermines student achievement, school performance, and educational equity. Simply put, if students are not in class, they are not learning,” said Turner (D-Mercer/Hunterdon). “This task force isn’t just another study group. It’s a direct response to a crisis—aimed at producing real solutions that bring students back to class and help them stay there.”
Under bill S-3776, the task force will compare current absenteeism rates with pre-pandemic data. It will conduct a root cause analysis of absences, examining issues such as school climate, mental health, and family and financial struggles. The task force will also review discipline policies and assess how exposure to COVID-19 has affected attendance patterns. It will identify national best practices that can be implemented statewide and develop strategies to strengthen family engagement and promote consistent school attendance.
“Attendance is more than a statistic. It reflects whether students feel connected, supported, and safe in their schools,” said McKnight (D-Hudson). “This task force will turn research into results, crafting smart policies that address real challenges and deliver real change.”
Members of the task force will serve without compensation and will be supported by staff from the New Jersey Department of Education. Within six months of its formation, the task force will submit a final report with findings and legislative proposals to the Governor and Legislature.
Chronic absenteeism, defined as missing ten percent or more of the school year, has surged nationwide since the pandemic. In New Jersey, the rate peaked at 18.1 percent in the 2021–2022 school year and declined to 14.9 percent in the 2023–2024 school year. However, it remains significantly higher than the pre-pandemic level of 10.6 percent in 2018–2019.
