Hispanic Chronic Absence in Illinois Has Improved From Its Pandemic Peak. The Gap With White Students Has Not.

Sun, 10 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Hispanic chronic absenteeism in Illinois has come down from its pandemic peak. At the height of the disruption in 2021-22, 36.1% of Hispanic students were chronically absent. Three years later, that figure has fallen to 31.7%, a 4-point improvement that represents real progress in classrooms across the state.

But the recovery has been slow compared to other groups, and the gap with white students has barely moved. Hispanic students have clawed back only 18.6% of the ground lost during the pandemic, well behind the 29% recovered by white and Black students. As a result, the gap between Hispanic and white students has held near 14 percentage points for four consecutive years, after roughly tripling from its pre-pandemic level of 4.7 points (12.5% versus 7.8%).

Two phases: a pandemic shock, then a long plateau

The gap dynamics tell a story in two phases. During 2020-21, Hispanic chronic absenteeism rose to 24.7% while white rates climbed to 13.9%, widening the gap from 4.7 to 10.8 points. The next year pushed it further to 14.9 points as Hispanic rates hit their peak of 36.1%. Since then, both groups have improved, but at similar rates. The gap has fluctuated between 13.8 and 14.9 points for four consecutive years with no meaningful narrowing.

This pattern matters because Hispanic students are Illinois's fastest-growing demographic group. In a state where Hispanic enrollment has surged, the persistent gap means the absolute number of Hispanic students missing school has grown substantially, both because there are more Hispanic students and because each one is more likely to be chronically absent than before the pandemic.

Structural factors behind the slower rebound

Hispanic students have recovered just 18.6% of the ground lost during the pandemic, below the rebound seen by white (29.1%) and Black (29.5%) students. Three smaller groups, Asian, Pacific Islander, and Native American, have recovered even less, but Hispanic students account for the largest share of Illinois enrollment, making the pace of the rebound especially consequential.

Several structural factors likely contribute. Hispanic families in Illinois are disproportionately represented in industries with non-standard work hours (food processing, agriculture, construction, hospitality) that can make school-day routines harder to maintain. Immigration enforcement anxieties, particularly in the current federal climate, may discourage some families from engaging with public institutions, including schools. Language barriers can limit parents' ability to navigate attendance intervention programs designed in English.

The data also shows that the gap widened most dramatically during 2020-21 and 2021-22, years when many Hispanic communities experienced disproportionate COVID illness and death rates, economic disruption, and housing instability. These acute shocks may have created a lasting disruption in school-day routines that is proving harder to reverse than for other groups.

In 2019, a 4.7-point gap was a line item buried in a state report card. At 14.4 points, it is visible in every classroom in districts like Aurora East and Cicero, where Hispanic students make up the majority. The encouraging news is that Hispanic chronic absence rates are down 4 points from their peak. The harder work ahead is closing a structural gap that the data shows has held steady for four years running.

Data source: Illinois State Board of Education. State-level chronic absenteeism rates by race/ethnicity, 2019-20 through 2024-25 school years.

Detailed code that reproduces the analysis and figures in this article is available exclusively to EdTribune subscribers.

Cicero - EdTribune IL - Illinois Education Data

Hispanic Chronic Absence in Illinois Has Improved From Its Pandemic Peak. The Gap With White Students Has Not.

Two phases: a pandemic shock, then a long plateau

Structural factors behind the slower rebound