Bennet Introduces Legislation to Prevent Chronic School Absenteeism

Jun 24, 2026 | Press Releases

Washington, D.C. - Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet introduced the Keep Kids in School Act. This legislation would create a grant program to help prevent and reduce persistent school absences and would target states with high levels of chronic absenteeism.

"As the former Superintendent of Denver Public Schools, I know firsthand how important showing up to school is for childhood development," said Bennet. "Since the pandemic, Colorado and our country's school absenteeism problem has only been exacerbated. This legislation sets out to provide schools with the resources they need to properly combat this crisis and ensure that students are getting the education and support they deserve."

Chronic absenteeism is defined as missing at least 10 percent of days in a school year for any reason, including excused and unexcused absences. Research suggests that children who are chronically absent for multiple years between preschool and second grade are much less likely to read at grade level by the third grade. In addition, students who are chronically absent are more likely to feel socially isolated, anxious, and lonely.

This bill is inspired by Alamosa School District who was able to reduce their chronic absenteeism rate in the 2023-24 school year by 5 percentage points and improved their average daily attendance to 92.7%. To boost attendance, the district increased meetings between staff and families and worked with local businesses to amplify the message of why showing up to school is essential.

The Keep Kids in School Act would create a grant program for schools to increase attendance and help create safe learning environments in public schools. Specifically, schools could use funds for:

• Hiring additional counselors, mental health professionals, social workers, or family liaisons;
• Providing stipends to teachers to perform home visits for students who are chronically absent;
• Supporting programming to address chronic absenteeism and to improve safety in learning environments;
• Transportation costs, such as buses; or
• Research and data collection so schools and local educational agencies can track absenteeism rates, patterns, and root causes throughout the school year.

This legislation is endorsed by the National Parents Union, the National Association of Education Foundations, and the American Federation of Teachers.

"Good attendance is a critical component for school and life success. We are concerned to see attendance and chronic absenteeism rates moving in the wrong direction, particularly for our students of color. This is a call to action for all of us: the future of our country is created in our schools and classrooms today. We need everyone - students, parents, teachers, community partners, civic leaders - focused on keeping students engaged in learning and attending school regularly," said Susana Córdova, Colorado Commissioner of Education.

"Senator Bennet continues to stand up for American families and demand investments in our kids. He understands what parents across this country already know: kids can't learn if they aren't in school and receiving the supports they need. Chronic absenteeism didn't emerge overnight, and it won't solve itself. This bill recognizes that the path back to school runs through parents, and we're grateful to Senator Bennet for treating families as partners rather than an afterthought. We look forward to working with him and our champions in Congress to get this across the finish line," said Keri Rodrigues, President of the National Parents Union.

"School attendance is one of the strongest predictors of academic success, graduation, and long-term educational attainment. Students cannot benefit from high-quality instruction, academic interventions, enrichment opportunities, or supportive school environments if they are not present in the classroom. Chronic absenteeism remains a significant challenge nationwide and often reflects broader barriers facing students and families. By providing resources for counselors, mental health professionals, social workers, family engagement initiatives, and transportation solutions, this legislation will help schools remove barriers to attendance while strengthening student participation and academic achievement," said Mike Taylor, Chief Executive Officer of the National Association of Education Foundations.

The text of the bill is available HERE. A summary of the bill is available HERE.

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