According to the Georgia Department of Education , 19,888 of Atlanta Public School students missed more than 15 days of class in 2023. A child is considered chronically absent when they’ve missed 10 percent of their school year.

An analysis by Atlanta News First Investigates revealed this school system saw metro Atlanta’s highest rate of absenteeism in 2023, 35 percent. Here is one family's story of their fight for education.