Teacher absenteeism has increased significantly since the COVID-19 pandemic. According to data collected by Kelly Services, 10% of teachers are absent from the classroom on a typical day, up from 6% during the pandemic.
In 2024, instructors from some parts of West Virginia were absent for a third or more of their contract year. On an average day in Las Vegas, nearly 25% of school teachers were absent.
Back in 2019, American teachers had an attendance rate of 95%, which equates to an average of nine missed days per teacher. Absenteeism had decreased in the two decades prior to the lockdowns of 2020.
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Schools are typically in session for 180 days per year, and teacher contracts usually allow educators to miss about 10 days of work without a loss in pay.
Education officials attribute teacher absenteeism to several factors, including low pay, student behavior and stress. Frequent teacher absences negatively affect student performance and are costly for school districts.
When educators don’t show up, schools need to bring in substitutes, which means instruction intensity and consistency may decline. Data from the Regional Educational Laboratory Program suggests that when teachers are absent for 10 days, students’ achievement scores may decrease by approximately 3.3% of a standard deviation.
Substitute teachers can cost anywhere from $100-$250 per day. According to Bloomberg estimates, “if even 8% of the nation’s 3.2 million full-time public school teachers call out, that conservatively amounts to a daily cost of roughly $25.6 million for districts, or $4.4 billion per school year.”
Education officials emphasize that teacher absenteeism is having a major impact on school districts and students’ ability to rebound since the pandemic.