Lyons Township High Absenteeism Higher Than Neighboring Schools

LA GRANGE, IL – Lyons Township High School's chronic absenteeism rate is higher than that of some other area high schools.

Last school year, 24 percent of Lyons Township High's students were considered chronically absent, up from 23 percent a year earlier.

Those are students who miss at least 10 percent of school days in a year, with or without valid excuses.

Lyons Township's rate is above the rates in Riverside Brookfield (20 percent), Hinsdale Central (15 percent) and York (18 percent). Hinsdale South was at 25 percent.

Lyons Township's rate matched Argo Community High School's. The rates tend to be higher at schools with more low-income students. Argo's low-income rate is nearly two-thirds, while Lyons Township's is a little over 10 percent.

Absenteeism rates rose at schools around the country during the pandemic.

Lyons Township officials acknowledge the problem and launched a campaign this school year titled, "We Are Present, We Are Engaged, We Are LT."

"This is a metric nationally that schools have struggled with, and it is something that we have put an all-in focus on," Leslie Owens, director of student services, told the school board this week. "Some early returns are showing some positive information."