#3 was truncated. The missing word is “model.”   #1 covers the issues of trans and other agendas that are now taught in schools.  Some schools have also decided to teach elementary classes in California (which is where the example came from) in Spanish rather than English or in dual languages, Spanish and English.  That seems like a logical choice at first until you realize many communities have few Spanish speaking students but many who speak Asian languages.  Those children should all be learning English.

KQED

California Schools Struggle to Deal With Soaring Chronic Absenteeism | KQED

Nearly a third of K-12 students statewide were chronically absent in 2020-21, more than 3 times the pre-pandemic rate. Some school officials fear that pattern will become the new normal.

Read more from KQED

This will sound like a conspiracy theory and I don’t mean to start one, but is it possible newspapers are focused on absenteeism because there is a desire to take over all decision making about schooling and school choice from parents.  The DOE is also focusing in it, which makes it seem like it’s bigger than what we are reading about.

From the DOE

https://www2.ed.gov/datastory/chronicabsenteeism.html

https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2009/attendancedata/chapter1a.asp

I voted other because it's a diversionary tactic to take our eyes off of something else they're doing.

Now exactly what that might be... as nefarious as they are... it could be anything. 

But most likely to remove parental control from their own kids. 

Otherwise, DOJ would have rescinded the order to go after parents as domestic terrorists after the school board retracted their letter!!!

Parents are in the way of current admin doing what they want with our children... and parents are fed up with current government's power grab of their children!!!

FWIW

But most likely to remove parental control from their own kids

Parents are in the way of current admin doing what they want with our children... and parents are fed up with current government's power grab of their children!!!

That is very possibly their goal. Parents may be keeping children home because they realize what’s going on, too. Although that doesn’t solve anything. Finding another school is a better solution.

#2 and Other.

It has been well understood that absenteeism is driven in large force by poverty but, as someone who had a sterling record of attendance through most of school but then had a serious lapse in grades 11 and 12 before realizing that was stupid and buckling down, some of it is due to just that, kids being stupid.

High school yes. They lose interest for a lot of reasons.  Elementary is more dependent on the parents. Middle school is a mixed bag.  It’s very unlikely that young children are truant on their own.  I would like to see a breakdown of schools by safety and by bathroom conditions.  There are schools that are so dangerous or have so much bullying, with filthy or dangerous bathrooms, children will go all day without using them.

Are truant officers still a thing? They never were here but were always cited as an example of what might happen.

Speaking of school washrooms, I was attacked and intimidated in the school washrooms on several occasions over the years. Had nothing to do with cleanliness though.