DeSoto County school district’s absentee rate tops state average
For the 2023-24 school year, DeSoto County Schools reported that 26.82% of its students were chronically absent. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian file)
More students across Mississippi were chronically absent during the 2023-24 school year compared to the prior year, according to statistics released by the Mississippi Department of Education on Wednesday, Aug. 14.
During the previous school year, the Department of Education reported an absentee rate of 24.4% compared to 23.9% in 2022-23. The rate was even higher at DeSoto County Schools, according to the statistics. For the 2023-24 school year, DCS reported that 26.82% of its students were chronically absent.
Despite topping the state average, DCS did improve from the 2022-23 school year, when it reported that 28.52% of its students were chronically absent.
Chronic absenteeism: DeSoto County sees rise in percentage in recent years
Topics
DeSoto County Schools DCS Cory Uselton DeSoto County Mississippi Department of Education chronic absenteeism Subscriber OnlyWill you help us reach more Memphians with quality, in-depth local news?
You know the value of having unlimited access to The Daily Memphian’s news. When you subscribe, you get full access to our news. But when you donate, you help us reach all Memphians.
Pay it forward. Make a fully tax-deductible donation to The Daily Memphian today.
Thank you for reading the local news. Thank you for investing in our community.
Rob Moore
Rob Moore covers North Mississippi for The Daily Memphian. He holds a B.A. and an M.A. in English from The University of Memphis.
Suburbs - North Mississippi on demand
Sign up to receive Suburbs - North Mississippi stories as they’re published.
Enter your e-mail address
Comments
Want to comment on our stories or respond to others? Join the conversation by subscribing now. Only paid subscribers can add their thoughts or upvote/downvote comments. Our commenting policy can be viewed here.