Data Stories & Explorers
CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM AND STUDENT SUPPORT PERSONNEL EXPLORER
Student Wellness Metrics Are at Worrisome Levels
Amid historically high rates of mental health issues, Illinois students are experiencing high chronic absenteeism rates and a shortage of student support personnel.
Student wellness challenges and absenteeism are deeply intertwined in Illinois schools. Chronic absenteeism has risen from 18% in 2019 to 26% in 2024, reflecting the lasting effects of pandemic disruption and growing mental health concerns. Feelings of sadness and hopelessness are increasingly common, and for many students, emotional distress translates into missed classroom time. Attempting to address these concerns, districts have added counselors and social workers with support from Evidence-Based Funding, but staffing still falls short—only school psychologists meet recommended ratios. The dashboard below provides a platform to explore chronic absenteeism rates and student support personnel ratios across the state.
38.2% Felt Sad or Hopeless
38.2% of surveyed Illinois high school students reported feeling sad or hopeless almost every day for 2 or more weeks in a row in the past year.
(CDC YRBSS, 2023)
26% Reported Poor Mental Health
26% of surveyed Illinois high school students reported that their mental health was not good most of the time or always in the past year.
(CDC YRBSS, 2023)
19.2% of Students Considered Attempting Suicide
19.2% of surveyed Illinois high school students reported seriously attempting suicide in the past year.
(CDC YRBSS, 2023)
View More Stories/Explorers
-
Nation's Report Card Proficiency Explorer
Illinois’ Proficiency is Stagnant
-
Evidence-Based Funding (EBF) Formula Explorer
Student-Teacher Ratios and Retention are Improving