P16Plus Council of Greater Bexar County. This study revealed both the scope of chronic absence and the impact of interventions involving more than 5,000 students, finding that 12.8 percent of the students were chronically absent. Nearly a quarter of 12th graders missed that much school, with girls missing more school than boys in their final year. As much as 24 percent of economically disadvantaged students were chronically absent, compared to 6 percent of those with no economic disadvantage. And, 72 percent of the chronically absent students who received interventions during the year improved their attendance rates, while 44 percent were no longer chronically absent by the end of the year.