Feb 6, 2021 - Economy

Daily school attendance falls amid the coronavirus pandemic

Axios

1st grade students of Rose Hill Elementary in Commerce City, Colorado, in January. Photo: Hyoung Chang/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images

Daily school attendance in some districts across the U.S. has dropped by an average of 2.3% this academic year compared to 2019, according to data from PowerSchool, a company that helps track grades and attendance, reviewed by the Wall Street Journal.

Why it matters: The attendance drop contributes to fears that the pandemic may worsen pre-pandemic academic achievement goals and the long-term well-being of the U.S. economy.

By the numbers: PowerSchool's data covers 2,700 districts that include more than 2.5 million students learning in person and online.

PowerSchool's data indicated that attendance plunged in 75% of the districts from September to November 2020, dropping by 1.5% on average each month.

The big picture: Data from some states and school districts show that students learning remotely were attending school less often compared to their in-school classmates, according to WSJ.

Go deeper: Private schools pull students away from public schools

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Daily school attendance falls amid the coronavirus pandemic

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