OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Ellen Pogemiller, D-Oklahoma City, conducted an Interim Study in front of the Common Education Committee on the causes of chronic absenteeism in schools and proven solutions to grow student attendance.

Chronic absenteeism is defined by a student missing 10% or more of school days.

“We know kids don’t learn if they don’t show up,” said Pogemiller. “I have also heard from school counselors that the biggest issues seen in schools are the ones that occur outside of the school. This means that schools cannot solve chronic absenteeism on their own. It is important to understand the root causes of chronic absenteeism and work to develop solutions that help improve the lives of students and make it easier for them to attend classes.”

Over the past three years in Tulsa Public Schools, eviction records show that 2,121 students experienced at least one eviction filing, 467 students faced eviction twice, and 327 students were filed against three or more times, with some experiencing up to 11 eviction filings. Proportionately, Pre-K and Kindergarten students had the highest rates of eviction filings. Impact Tulsa is working to help TPS schools identify families that are being evicted and provide support to those families. They also highlighted the challenges around evictions including low filing fees and short windows on evictions (number of days). 

Moore Public Schools, Bridges of Moore and Moore Public School Foundation are partnering together to help address chronic absenteeism around homeless youth. Students experiencing homelessness are absent twice as often as the general population, not because they don’t care, but due to a lack of stability. 

Bridges of Moore supports students in developing stability and independence by requiring participants to maintain employment, pass all enrolled classes, attend Life Skills sessions, follow housing rules, and pay rent on time. These expectations help students build responsibility and prepare for life beyond the program. As a result, 100% of Bridges of Moore students leave the program with a plan for their next step—whether that’s entering the workforce, enrolling in college, pursuing a career, or joining the military. In addition, in Fall of 2026 they are set to open housing for up to 20 students experiencing homelessness. 

Presenters from Sand Springs Public Schools and Norman Public Schools talked about their work addressing suspensions using opioid abatement funding. Yukon Public School created an attendance officer that has partnered with city and county government to support the DHS School Based Specialists.  

“One thing I’ve learned working in a non-profit and then moving into education advocacy is that it is all connected,” Pogemiller said. “We cannot provide the best outcomes for students when we don’t address the root challenges they face.”

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