Ohio Launches Attendance Dashboard to Track Student Absences

New tool will provide weekly data on chronic absenteeism in every school district

Mar. 10, 2026 at 5:52pm

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Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced during his State of the State address that the state will launch a new attendance dashboard on April 15 to track student absences. The dashboard will provide weekly data on chronic absenteeism rates for every school district, allowing schools and communities to take action to improve attendance.

Why it matters

Chronic absenteeism is a persistent problem in Ohio, with over 25% of students missing at least 10% of instructional time in the 2024-2025 school year. Research shows that students with good attendance are more likely to be proficient in reading and math, graduate on time, and find employment after high school. The new dashboard aims to give schools and communities the data they need to address the root causes of absenteeism.

The details

The attendance dashboard will be a joint effort between the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. It will provide weekly updates on chronic absenteeism rates for every school district in the state. Schools will be able to use this data to identify at-risk students early and provide targeted support to improve attendance. The state is highlighting the success of the East Cleveland City School District, which reduced chronic absenteeism by 10.5% last year through proactive outreach to families.

  • The attendance dashboard will launch on April 15, 2026.
  • The data on the dashboard will be updated weekly.

The players

Mike DeWine

The Governor of Ohio who announced the launch of the attendance dashboard during his State of the State address.

Ohio Department of Education and Workforce

The state agency that will be responsible for creating and maintaining the attendance dashboard.

East Cleveland City School District

A school district that has successfully reduced chronic absenteeism through proactive outreach to families.

Henry Pettigrew II

The superintendent of the East Cleveland City School District.

Sandra Morgan

The mayor of East Cleveland.

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What they’re saying

“This new tool will provide parents, the public, people in the community with simple, fast, and transparent attendance data each week for every district, for every school. This will offer early information about the effectiveness of attendance strategies, so that schools, districts, and communities can take actionable steps to improve attendance.”

— Mike DeWine, Governor of Ohio (cleveland.com)

“If we want our children to thrive, they need to be in school. Students with good attendance are three times more likely to be proficient readers, nearly four times more likely to be proficient at math, almost 12 times more likely to graduate on time, and then to be much more likely to get a job after high school.”

— Mike DeWine, Governor of Ohio (cleveland.com)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This new attendance dashboard is a crucial step in addressing the persistent problem of chronic absenteeism in Ohio schools. By providing weekly data to schools and communities, it will empower them to identify at-risk students early and implement targeted strategies to improve attendance and support student success.