Thousands of Salem students are still missing too much school, state data shows

More than 15,000 Salem and Keizer students were chronically absent from class last school year, a share that’s remained stubbornly below state averages and pre-pandemic attendance for years.

Data released Thursday from the Oregon Department of Education showed just 57% of students in the Salem-Keizer School District were regularly in class. That’s barely changed from the 56% who attended regularly in 2023-24. 

Statewide, two in three students were regular attenders last school year, a figure…