Pittsburgh Schools Address 32% Chronic Absenteeism Rate

Pittsburgh Public Schools reported that 32% of students were chronically absent last year, missing 18 or more days of school, with some high schools exceeding 50% absenteeism.

The district has seen a 15% reduction in absenteeism since the pandemic by utilizing texting and email outreach to parents of chronically absent students.

Schools are implementing a 'house system' modeled after Harry Potter to improve student behavior and attendance, with early results showing a reduction in disciplinary incidents.