SAN CARLOS, Ariz. — Chronic Absenteeism: After missing 40 days of school last year, 10-year-old Tommy Betom is on track for much better attendance this year. The importance of showing up has been emphasized at both his school and home.
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Tommy, who lives on the San Carlos Apache Reservation in southeastern Arizona, often came home last year feeling isolated and discouraged. He claimed that his teacher was singling him out, and he was teased by other students about his clothes. However, his grandmother, Ethel Marie Betom, who became his primary caregiver after his parents’ split, encouraged him to choose his friends wisely and reminded him of the importance of school for his future.
“I didn’t have everything,” said Betom, an enrolled member of the San Carlos Apache tribe. “You have everything. You have running water in the house, bathrooms, and a running car.”
Tommy’s situation is not unique. In the San Carlos Unified School District, 76% of students were chronically absent during the 2022-2023 school year, meaning they missed 10% or more of the school year.
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Attendance Challenges Among Native American Students
Nationwide, attendance continues to be a struggle years after the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted education. Native American students, in particular, have faced disproportionately high absenteeism rates, a problem that existed before the pandemic and has only worsened since.
In 2022-2023, 34 states reported absenteeism data, and half of those states saw Native American and Alaska Native students with absenteeism rates at least 9 percentage points higher than the state average.
Efforts to address this issue in schools serving Native students are ongoing. Many schools have been working to strengthen their relationships with families, especially those dealing with higher rates of illness, poverty, and trauma. Schools also face the challenge of overcoming historic distrust in the education system, which stems from the U.S. government’s forced assimilation efforts and abusive boarding schools.
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San Carlos School System’s Innovative Approach
The San Carlos school district has made strides in improving attendance by introducing care centers that partner with local hospitals, dentists, and food banks to provide essential services. These centers are guided by cultural success coaches — school employees who help families navigate challenges that affect attendance.
Superintendent Deborah Dennison, a member of the Navajo Nation, attributes some of the district’s recent progress to these community connections. She believes that tailoring the educational system to better fit the needs of Native students — rather than enforcing an external, often oppressive system — is making a significant difference.
“Education was a weapon for the U.S. government back in the past,” Dennison said. “We work to decolonize our school system.”
This year, the district’s chronic absenteeism rate dropped from 76% to 59%, a sign of the positive impact these efforts are having.
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A Holistic Approach to Student Well-Being
At the heart of these initiatives is the recognition that many students miss school due to emotional distress, trauma, or unstable living conditions. Jason Jones, a cultural success coach at San Carlos High School, helps students navigate these challenges by addressing their fears, grief, and anxiety.
“You feel better, you do better,” Jones said. “That’s our job here in the care center is to help the students feel better.”
These holistic approaches are also visible at schools such as Algodones Elementary in New Mexico, which serves Native American pueblos along the Upper Rio Grande. Like the San Carlos district, Algodones has a significant percentage of chronically absent students, many of whom have been affected by the trauma of the pandemic. Staff members, including tribal liaisons, are proactively reaching out to families, even making home visits to better understand the causes of absenteeism.
For parents like Jennifer Tenorio, who speaks Keres at home, Algodones’ commitment to preserving Native culture through language classes has made a positive impact. Her children, now in their 20s, struggled academically after being discouraged from speaking Keres at an earlier educational stage. Tenorio sees a stark contrast in her younger children’s experience at Algodones, where the school offers support in both the Keres language and cultural identity.
“It was sad to see with my own eyes,” said Tenorio, a single mother and administrative assistant. “In Algodones, I saw a big difference to where the teachers were really there for the students, and for all the kids, to help them learn.”
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Family and Community Involvement Drives Improvement
In Arizona, at Rice Intermediate School, Principal Nicholas Ferro has focused on improving communication with families, especially those like Tommy Betom’s, who face barriers such as unreliable phone service. Staff members often make home visits to ensure parents are aware of their children’s attendance and academic progress.
Rice Intermediate’s involvement in student activities, such as family nights, has also helped boost student morale and attendance. Lillian Curtis, who cares for her grandchildren, noticed significant improvement in her granddaughter Brylee’s attendance this year. Last year, Brylee missed 10 days by mid-October but only missed two days by the same time this year.
“The kids always want to go — they are anxious to go to school now,” Curtis said. “And Brylee is much more excited.”

Chronic Absenteeism: Looking Ahead
While the path to improved attendance is long and challenging, schools like those in the San Carlos and Algodones districts are leading the way with a model that prioritizes community engagement, cultural understanding, and holistic support. With the continued efforts of educators, cultural success coaches, and families, there is hope that Native American students will have more opportunities to succeed academically and beyond.
FAQ:
- Why are Native American students more likely to miss school?
Higher absenteeism rates among Native American students are due to factors like poverty, illness, trauma, and historic mistrust in the education system. - How are schools improving attendance for Native students?
Schools like San Carlos have introduced cultural success coaches, care centers, and family engagement initiatives to help students overcome barriers to attendance. - What role do cultural identity and language classes play in improving attendance?
Schools that affirm students’ cultural identity and offer native language classes help improve engagement and academic performance.