DENVER (KDVR) — An alarming number of Colorado students are skipping school, according to a new report from The Associated Press.

The report ranks Colorado as the sixth worst state for chronic absenteeism, tied with Nevada. Chronic absenteeism is defined as a student missing an average of 18 school days annually.

Alaska takes the top spot with 49% of students missing 18 days or more. 

The data shows 36% of Colorado students missed about 10% of the 2021-2022 school year. Before the pandemic, it was 23%.

Colorado’s growing trend appears to be part of a nationwide post-pandemic problem.  Nationally, the average number of chronically absent students is at 25%, which is up 15% from before the pandemic.

FOX31 looked into data from the Colorado Department of Education on chronic absenteeism in Adams 12, Adams 14, Aurora Public Schools, the Cherry Creek School District, Denver Public Schools, Douglas County Public Schools and Jefferson County Public Schools.

Of the school districts that FOX31 looked into, Adams 14 had the highest percentage of chronically absent students at 51.9%.

The state has a task force to try and address the issue. 

The report shows that the most chronically absent students are low-income, Latino and Black students.