Colorado students are showing up to school more often — but chronic absenteeism remains a significant challenge.
New data from the Colorado Department of Education show that 27.5% of Colorado students were chronically absent during the 2025–26 school year, meaning they missed at least 10% of school days. That’s an improvement from 28.4% the previous year, but still represents more than 233,000 students. Older students have some of the highest rates: 41% of Colorado 12th graders were chronically absent last year.
Looking Beyond the Absence
It’s easy to see attendance as a behavior to correct. But sometimes missing school is a signal that something else needs attention. Health concerns, mental health, transportation, family responsibilities, housing instability, bullying, academic struggles, or simply not feeling connected at school can all create barriers to attendance.
That’s one reason Colorado is increasingly approaching attendance as a shared challenge rather than something schools or students solve alone. In September, the Colorado Department of Education, Denver Broncos Foundation, and Attendance Works launched the Denver Broncos Attendance Network, bringing together 53 schools across 13 districts and two BOCES to improve attendance through training, resources, and collaboration.
Connection Is Part of the Picture
Attendance and belonging are closely connected. The CDC identifies school connectedness — feeling cared for, valued, supported, and that you belong—as an important protective factor. Students who feel connected at school are more likely to attend regularly and graduate, and less likely to experience poor mental health, substance use, and violence.
There’s encouraging news locally, too. The 2025 Healthy Kids Colorado Survey found that 72% of Colorado youth feel like they belong at their school, up from 67% in 2023.
Ask What’s Behind It
For schools, families, law enforcement, and community partners, repeated absences can be an opportunity to ask a different question:
Instead of only “How do we get this young person back to school?” we can also ask, “What’s making it hard for them to be there?”
That distinction matters to YouthLink. Our assessment-based approach is designed to look beyond the immediate behavior or circumstance that brings a young person to us and better understand what may be contributing to it.
Attendance is one piece of a much bigger picture. Understanding that picture can help families and community partners connect young people with support that actually addresses what they need.
Learn more about YouthLink at YouthLinkCO.org.
References
- Colorado Department of Education. Colorado student attendance increases; chronic absenteeism declines as every grade level and nearly every student group improves. August 27, 2026. View Colorado attendance data
- Colorado Department of Education. CDE and the Denver Broncos Foundation launch Denver Broncos Attendance Network. September 1, 2026. Read about the Attendance Network
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. School Connectedness Helps Students Thrive. CDC school connectedness research
- Colorado Public Radio. “Protective factors” — like parents — help Colorado kids cope: Five takeaways from statewide health survey. June 9, 2026. Read the 2025 Healthy Kids Colorado findings