Mississippi Student Absences Fall 24 Percent

Mississippi public school students are missing fewer days this fall. The Mississippi Department of Education reported a 24 percent drop in total absences for August and September 2026 compared to the same period in 2025.

In the 2024-25 school year, students recorded 1,012,946 absences during those two months. That number fell to 769,180 this year, a difference of 243,766. Unexcused absences dropped by 29 percent, while excused absences fell by 17 percent.

Officials attribute the change to SB 2103, a law passed by the state legislature. The bill sets a cap of five excused absences per semester. It also counts students as present when they participate in school-related functions outside of the classroom.

State Superintendent Dr. Lance Evans said the new standards are working. He noted that the law has already resulted in 1.34 million more instructional hours for students than in the previous year. Evans emphasized that regular attendance is vital because missed instructional time cannot be recovered.

House Education Committee Chair Rob Roberson, a Republican, praised parents for getting their children to class. He called the students the real winners in the decline. Roberson added that the legislature may revisit the law in the upcoming 2026 session to address minor issues.

Roberson said some districts are struggling to determine what counts as an acceptable absence. He explained that lawmakers want to ensure unexcused absences do not cause students to fall behind in their studies. He stated that it is unfair to teachers and students when instruction is disrupted by missing children.

Chronic absenteeism, defined as missing 10 percent or more of the school year, had already declined before the new law took effect. The rate dropped from 27.6 percent in the 2024-25 year to 26.5 percent in the 2025-26 year. The department expects lawmakers to continue enforcing high attendance expectations for school-age children.