Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Since the pandemic, chronic absenteeism continues to be an issue in Arizona, and for the first time, a report has focused on high school students. And the numbers were found to be a bit surprising.
Advocacy group, Helios Education Foundation released their new report at the end of September 2025, which looked at absence rates between 2021 and 2024.
But one Valley high school is hoping to change that. Julio Rubio is the principal at West Valley Carl Hayden Community High School. Last year, the absenteeism rate at his school was a whopping 61%.
About 30 Carl Hayden staff members, along with Rubio, stepped up to mentor chronically absent students. Staff members met with them on a daily basis for six weeks. Part of the program included incentives like gift cards, when students met their academic and attendance goals.
“Our middle name is community. It is Carl Hayden Community High School, so we believe it takes the whole community to support our students," Rubio said. "At Carl Hayden, we all pitch in to support our students."
Reporting by “Arizona Horizon” Education Solutions Reporter Roxanne De La Rosa. Her role is made possible through grant funding from the Arizona Local News Foundation’s Arizona Community Collaborative Fund and Report for America.
Learn more about Report for America: reportforamerica.org
Watch full episodes of "Arizona Horizon": @AZPBSNow
Explore our education resources: azpbs.org/education
Connect with us:
Support our work: azpbs.org/donatenow
Sign up for Arizona PBS newsletters: azpbs.org
Arizona PBS on Instagram: instagram.com/arizonapbs
Arizona PBS on Facebook: facebook.com/arizonapbs
Since the pandemic, chronic absenteeism continues to be an issue in Arizona, and for the first time, a report has focused on high school students. And the numbers were found to be a bit surprising.
Advocacy group, Helios Education Foundation released their new report at the end of September 2025, which looked at absence rates between 2021 and 2024.
But one Valley high school is hoping to change that. Julio Rubio is the principal at West Valley Carl Hayden Community High School. Last year, the absenteeism rate at his school was a whopping 61%.
About 30 Carl Hayden staff members, along with Rubio, stepped up to mentor chronically absent students. Staff members met with them on a daily basis for six weeks. Part of the program included incentives like gift cards, when students met their academic and attendance goals.
“Our middle name is community. It is Carl Hayden Community High School, so we believe it takes the whole community to support our students," Rubio said. "At Carl Hayden, we all pitch in to support our students."
Reporting by “Arizona Horizon” Education Solutions Reporter Roxanne De La Rosa. Her role is made possible through grant funding from the Arizona Local News Foundation’s Arizona Community Collaborative Fund and Report for America.
Learn more about Report for America: reportforamerica.org
Watch full episodes of "Arizona Horizon": @AZPBSNow
Explore our education resources: azpbs.org/education
Connect with us:
Support our work: azpbs.org/donatenow
Sign up for Arizona PBS newsletters: azpbs.org
Arizona PBS on Instagram: instagram.com/arizonapbs
Arizona PBS on Facebook: facebook.com/arizonapbs
