Pr. George's school officials, advocates tackle chronic absenteeism

Thousands of struggling elementary students in Maryland remain all but immune to massive and costly efforts to improve public education. The reason is they miss at least a month of class every school year.

State records show that more than 19,000 elementary students - or 6 percent of the total statewide - were absent for more than 20 days in the year that ended in June.

In Prince George's County, where schools serve many children with a host of economic and educational disadvantages, the chronic absence rate for elementary students was nearly 8 percent. At more than 30 county elementary schools it exceeded 10 percent. The figures include absences counted as excused or unexcused.