Denver schools draft 41% chronic absenteeism target after reporting 43.1%

Denver Public Schools’ draft 2026–27 improvement plan aims to reduce chronic absenteeism to 41%, after the district reported a 43.1% rate as of June 3, and raise attendance from 88.3% to 90%. The reported absenteeism rate was 38.1% in 2025.

Attendance is one of four priorities in the draft plan and board update, alongside literacy, math and graduation. The Colorado Department of Education defines chronic absenteeism as missing at least 10% of the days a student is enrolled, for any reason. The state’s attendance rate is the number of days attended divided by possible attendance days, according to the department’s definitions.

To improve attendance, the draft proposes a unified system to identify students’ academic, behavioral and social-emotional needs and provide timely support. It also calls for removing nonacademic barriers and making school environments welcoming and predictable. Proposed resources include an Attendance Learning Cohort, attendance coaches and the Denver Broncos Attendance Network for participating schools, as well as a district attendance partnership for identified schools.

The plan separately measures how schools implement attendance support. It targets increasing the share of schools receiving targeted or intensive support that meet a specified implementation standard from 33% in December 2026 to 50% in March 2027. The district’s Attendance Team is slated to review progress in December and April.

The academic goals include raising the share of kindergarten through third-grade students reading at or above grade level from 69% to 71%. For grades 3–8, the plan targets increasing the share meeting or exceeding expectations from 40.8% to 43% in English language arts and from 35% to 37% in math.

The plan reports an 82% four-year graduation rate for 2026 and sets an 85% target for 2026–27. It also sets graduation targets of 82% for Black students and Hispanic students, 77% for multilingual learners and 74% for students with disabilities. Its graduation strategy emphasizes career and college pathways, postsecondary credit, industry credentials and work-based learning.

The draft identifies staffing instability, inconsistent districtwide systems for student support, and financial constraints coupled with inequitable resource allocation as root causes. It says the district will work with the District Accountability Committee to monitor progress, with reviews anticipated in November 2026 and March 2027.

The school board’s Oct. 1 agenda schedules a study-session discussion of the plan; the draft has not been presented here as an adopted policy.