LA GRANGE, IL – Teacher absenteeism in one of La Grange’s elementary school districts was well above the state average last school year, according to the Illinois Report Card.
Another district reported an improbable reduction.
The state measures the percentage of teachers who are absent for at least 10 days. Patch reviewed the rates in 14 area districts.
Locally, La Grange District 105 reported the highest absenteeism rate last school year, with 46 percent who missed at least 10 days. The rate in La Grange Highlands District 106 was 34 percent.
Those numbers compare to a statewide rate of 34 percent.
La Grange District 105 Superintendent Brian Ganan did not return Patch’s message for comment on teacher absenteeism.
La Grange District 102 reported that none of its 230 teachers missed 10 or more days last school year. That’s down from 40 percent, or about 90 teachers, the previous year.
Patch asked District 102 Superintendent Chris Covino about the dramatic reduction and whether the district changed its record-keeping system.
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“I am not immediately aware of any changes in our recording or reporting systems,” Covino said in a mid-December email. “But I can check in with our HR department to see if they have additional information.”
At Lyons Township High School, 27 percent of teachers missed 10 or more days last school year, up from 20 percent.
Under state law, the rate excludes absences for professional development, leave under the Family Medical Leave Act, long-term disability or parental leave.
The U.S. Department of Education sees teacher attendance as a leading indicator of student achievement. Teachers with regular attendance provide continuity of instruction and attention to individual students, according to the Illinois Report Card.
“The National Bureau of Economic Research has shown that when teachers are absent for 10 days or more, student outcomes decrease significantly,” the report card said. “Teacher absence results in loss of instruction time for students, as well as financial concerns to the district when substitutes must be employed.”
Source: Illinois Report Card, 2023-2024
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