These 30 NJ Schools Have the Worst Attendance Rates

• Many NJ schools are struggling with a hidden problem — chronic absenteeism
• Some schools see hundreds, even thousands, of students missing class regularly
• State data reveals which schools have the worst attendance records

I'm not rushing summer, but kids here in New Jersey will be going back to school in just a few weeks.

Well, most kids will be going back to school.

Beyond Academics: The Attendance Challenge

While we've documented the smartest schools in New Jersey and those that are really bad for bullying and violence, one thing that is often not talked about is chronic absenteeism.

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What is Chronic Absenteeism?

But what exactly is that? According to the New Jersey School Boards Association,

Student chronic absenteeism is defined as missing 10% or more days in a school year, which equates to a student missing 18 or more days during a 180-day school year. Whether an absence is considered excused or not is irrelevant.

And, apparently, it's quite a problem here in New Jersey.

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A recent edition of the New Jersey Department of Education's annual NJ School Performance Reports showed some alarming statistics for quite a number of schools across the state.

The 30 NJ Schools with the Worst Attendance Problems

In the 30 New Jersey schools with the worst attendance problems, as listed below, you'll see that in some cases, schools have hundreds — and even thousands — of students who just don't regularly show up to learn.