The San Diego Unified School District has seen a threefold spike in chronically absent students from pre- to post-pandemic, according to state data.
The number tripled from 12.4 percent in 2019 to 36.7 percent in 2022, according to the California School Dashboard, a database by the state Education Department.
Students are considered chronically absent when they miss 10 percent of school days during a school year.
The district told the Epoch Times in an email that most children miss school due to COVID-19 or other illnesses.
Roughly 42 percent of San Diego Unified students are vaccinated against COVID-19, but the district still advises those who show symptoms of sickness or COVID-19 to stay home….