Crawford Measure Studying Effects of COVID-19 on Chronic Absenteeism Heads to House Floor

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – State Rep. Mike Crawford, D-Chicago, passed a measure out of the House Education Policy Committee on Wednesday to help educators and policymakers better address the causes of chronic absenteeism among k-12 students. The measure now heads to the House Floor for consideration.

“We are only just beginning to understand the fundamental setbacks that the COVID-19 pandemic wrought on our communities, and we – as policymakers – can’t continue to rely on old
data when it comes to addressing chronic absence, how to best ensure our students graduate from our schools and meet educational benchmarks,” Crawford said. “This taskforce will convene our state’s leading experts, lawmakers and advocates to make sure we get the facts straight and understand the scope and scale of this issue, so when it comes time to brainstorm solutions,
they’re informed and lasting. I am proud to join Majority Leader Lightford to advance this important, bipartisan legislation.”

Crawford’s Senate Bill 407 creates the Chronic Absence Task Force to study the impact of COVID-19 on chronic absenteeism and propose solutions to support young learners in early childhood education programs through 12th grade. According to the State Board of Education, a student is considered  chronically absent if they are recorded as missing 10% or more of the school year. For k-12 students, the percentage of students considered chronically absent has decreased since 2022; however in 2024, the rate still ranges from 18.6% of 5th graders to 41% for 12th graders.

Senate Bill 407 passed out of the House Education Policy Committee on Wednesday. It now awaits consideration on the House Floor.

For more information, visit ILGA.gov.