Hilliard City Schools posted a 12.2% chronic absenteeism rate for 2025-26, roughly half the statewide average. The figure came from data academic director Jake Grantier presented at a Sept. 28 Board of Education work session.

The rate comes from work session notes that have not yet been formally approved by the board. The state's report card database had not posted Hilliard's specific rate as of Saturday.

The district cleared the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce's (ODEW) annual target of 14.5%, according to the state report card database. Chronic absenteeism means a student missed 10% or more of school hours for any reason.

Statewide, the picture is less encouraging. Ohio's rate dropped from 24.9% the prior year but remains more than double the 11.2% recorded in 2019-20, the last full pre-pandemic school year, the Ohio Capital Journal reported Friday, Oct. 9.

Grantier told the board that the district was "well ahead of the state before the state made this a thing" and said Hilliard has the lowest chronic absenteeism rate in Central Ohio. He credited Molly Walker and building-level teams for the results.

The district is in year three of a commitment plan targeting goals in academics, attendance and access, Grantier said.

Hilliard earned 4.5 stars overall on the 2025-26 state report card, up from 4 stars the prior year, and 5 stars in Gap Closing. The district received all possible points for progress in chronic absenteeism, graduation, gifted education, English learners, English language arts and mathematics, according to the district's report card announcement.

The statewide numbers underscore how far most Ohio districts still have to go. The rate peaked at 30.2% in 2021-22 and has fallen each year since. Arya Ansari, a faculty associate at Ohio State University's Crane Center for Early Childhood Research and Policy, told the Ohio Capital Journal that returning to pre-pandemic levels will take years.

"It's not going to be next year," Ansari said. "It's not going to be the following year. So I think it's a more moderate to longer-term outlook."

A 2022 report from the Crane Center found that one missed school day equals roughly 2.5 days of lost math learning and 1.5 days of lost language and literacy learning. Janet Walton, network director for the Stay in the Game! Attendance Network, told the Ohio Capital Journal that students who have never been chronically absent are about three and a half times more likely to read on grade level by the end of third grade.

The next Hilliard Board of Education meeting is Monday, Oct. 26, at 6:30 p.m., a work session at Central Office.