PREPARED BY: Comprehensive Health Promotion
DATE: 2026-02-05
SUBJECT: School Based Absenteeism Collaboration
BACKGROUND/PURPOSE
School attendance is strongly associated with academic achievement, social development, overall health and long-term well-being (Kearney, et al., 2023). The Ontario Public Health Standards (OPHS) reinforce this by emphasizing population health assessment, health equity and chronic disease prevention, factors closely connected to the social determinants that influence chronic absenteeism. Many of the root causes, such as limited access to healthcare, housing and food instability, as well as family stress, extend beyond the education system (Falconer, 2025) and reflect broader public health responsibilities outlined in the OPHS.
While often viewed as an educational issue, chronic absence is a complex public health concern involving social and health factors (Smith et al., 2022). This aligns with PPM 171 (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2020), which highlights the importance of stable, consistent school environments to support student well-being and achievement, noting that absenteeism disrupts continuity and impacts outcomes. Using a comprehensive health promotion approach consistent with the OPHS, public health units play a critical role in supporting school-aged children and families to address the underlying contributors to absenteeism.
The WECHU is collaborating with the Greater-Essex County District School Board (GECDSB) and the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board (WECDSB) to better understand and address student absenteeism by identifying its root causes. Working collaboratively, we have initiated a coordinated data collection process to assess attendance trends and identify areas where additional support is needed for students and their families.
The two participating school boards distributed secure, online surveys developed specifically for each board hosted by the WECHU, to parents/caregivers and, for the GECDSB, to students 18 years of age and older. The purpose of the surveys is the gather information from the respondents regarding the factors contributing to student absences.
DISCUSSION
Absenteeism Survey Implementation 2025-2026 School Year
Between September 2 and November 30, 2025, the participating school boards identified all students who had accumulated six days of absence representing 10 % of instructional time, inclusive of both consecutive and non-consecutive absences. During the week of December 8, 2025, parents/caregivers of these students were invited to complete a voluntary survey. For the GECDSB, students aged 18 years and older received an individual survey, as they are responsible for reporting their own absences. A reminder notice was issued one week later, and the surveys remained open until December 19, 2025.
The survey was accessible in multiple languages using a built-in translation tool. Questions included basic demographic information and asked respondent to identify reasons for student absences across several categories, including physical and mental health, transportation, and personal and other contributing factors. Respondents were also provided with an opportunity to offer suggestions on how schools could further support regular attendance
A total, 4,296 surveys were submitted, of which 3,210 surveys were fully completed. These completed surveys are currently undergoing analysis.
Next Steps
The survey implementation process was reviewed mid-January through individual debrief meetings with each participating school board to evaluate successful components and identify opportunities for improvement. Follow-up debrief meetings with both school boards are planned, and the second-round implementation process will be refined based on feedback received. A comprehensive strategy report, inclusive of relevant programs and resulting policy recommendations, is scheduled for completion before the end of this school year.
References
Falconer, C. (2025). All in for Attendance: Collective action for public health strategies that address chronic absence. https://schoolhealth.jhu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Chronic-Absence-Report_FINAL-2.pdf
Kearney, C.A., Dupont, R., Fensken, M., and Gonzálvez, C. (2023). School attendance problems and absenteeism as early warning signals: review and implications for health-based protocols and school-based practices. Front. Educ. 8:1253595. doi: 10.3389/feduc.2023.1253595.
Ministry of Education (2025). Enrolment Register Instructions for Elementary and Secondary Schools, 2025-26 School Year. https://www.ontario.ca/files/2025-07/edu-2025-26-enrollment-regstration-instructions-elementary-secondary-schools-en-2025-07-04.pdf
Ontario Ministry of Education. (2020). Policy/Program Memorandum no.171: Supporting children and students with special education needs. Government of Ontario
Smith, J.D., Mokhtarian, N., Whitley, J., Rogers, M., McBrearty, N. (2022). Roll call: A scoping review of research pertaining to school attendance problems. https://www.jesswhitley.ca/_files/ugd/25af4d_c40f3e0c044944d3962241d7f91a0275.pdf