Nearly half of LA students have been chronically absent this year, data show

LOS ANGELES — In December, Eva Garcia's daughter, a high school junior, came in close contact with a COVID-19-positive family member, forcing her to quarantine. A few days later, her daughter also tested positive, causing her to miss more school. When she was ready to return, Garcia, who uses a bus to travel, was unable to get her to the correct coronavirus testing site right away, once again delaying her return to campus.

In all, Garcia's daughter has missed about a month of school this academic year. Her grades have dropped as her senior year quickly approaches, and she is worried about her college acceptance chances.

"As a mother I tell her to work hard. I tell her that it's up to her if she wants to keep studying," Garcia said. "But this situation has made me feel desperate."

Nearly half of Los Angeles Unified students — more than 200,000 children — have been chronically absent this school year, meaning they have missed at least 9% of the academic year, according to data provided to the Los Angeles Times by the district in response to a public records