Office of Attorney General, California Department of Justice, September 2015. In the 2015 report, we release new and updated data on the still alarming rates of elementary school truancy and chronic absence across the state. More than 1 in 5 elementary school students in California are truant based on data from the California Department of Education. Furthermore, we estimate that 8% of elementary school students in California are chronically absent. That means over 230,000 of our youngest students are already at risk of falling behind in school. Our new data also show which of our students are missing the most school, with disproportionately high rates of absenteeism and suspensions for students of color, low-income, homeless, foster youth, and special education students. However, we have begun to see a positive trend across California: increased attention and more concerted efforts to improve elementary school attendance. This report highlights some of the districts and counties engaged in this important work. These districts and counties serve as examples of progress in many locales across the state.