Valdez posts Alaska's third-largest chronic-absence decline

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Valdez City School District^↗ cut its chronic absenteeism rate from 58.5% in 2022 to 32.9% in 2025. The 25.6-point decline was the third-largest among 49 Alaska districts with positive rates reported at both endpoints.

The district's rate fell in each adjacent annual comparison: to 44.6% in 2023, 37.8% in 2024 and 32.9% in 2025. Those are three consecutive annual improvements across four reporting years. Alaska's published series has no 2020 or 2021 absence file, so 2019 and 2022 do not form an annual comparison.

A statewide bright spot

Valdez is one of nine districts that improved in all three adjacent annual transitions from 2022 through 2025. The comparison includes 52 districts with complete rates across those four reporting years.

The annual declines became smaller over time: 13.8 points from 2022 to 2023, 6.8 points the next year and 4.9 points from 2024 to 2025. That pattern supports a sustained decline, but it does not identify what caused it.

The statewide rate moved from 48.6% in 2022 to 42.8% in 2025, a 5.8-point decline. Valdez's improvement over the same endpoints was 19.8 points larger.

Every reported subgroup improved at the endpoints

All six Valdez subgroups with rates published in both 2022 and 2025 improved. The declines ranged from 10.0 to 29.0 percentage points.

The range matters. Alaska Native/American Indian students' rate fell from 56.5% to 46.6%, a 10.0-point improvement. Economically disadvantaged students' rate fell from 62.8% to 43.0%, a 19.8-point improvement. Hispanic, multiracial, White and special education students posted larger endpoint declines.

The endpoint pattern was broad, but it was not uniform from year to year. Economically disadvantaged, Hispanic, Alaska Native/American Indian and special education students each had at least one intervening annual increase before finishing below their 2022 rates.

Progress without a full return

Valdez's 2025 rate remained 9.7 points above its 23.2% rate in 2019. The district has recovered much of the increase visible in the published data, but it has not returned to its pre-pandemic level.

The district enrolled 527 students in 2025-26. In 2025, the three Valdez schools with published total rates ranged from 24.3% at Valdez High School to 38.6% at Hermon Hutchens Elementary; George H. Gilson Middle School was at 32.9%.

The rates show that Valdez's improvement reached the district total and every subgroup with comparable endpoints. They do not reveal which local practices, demographic shifts or other factors produced the decline.

The Valdez City School District did not respond to a request for comment.

Detailed code that reproduces the analysis and figures in this article is available exclusively to EdTribune subscribers.

Valdez City School District - EdTribune AK - Alaska Education Data

Valdez posts Alaska's third-largest chronic-absence decline

A statewide bright spot

Every reported subgroup improved at the endpoints

Progress without a full return