Through March of the 2020-2021 school year, 17% of Massachusetts students have been categorized as chronically absent -- meaning they missed 10 percent or more of their enrolled school days. (Getty Images) New statewide school attendance data show the percentage of students deemed chronically absent was up so far this pandemic-disrupted school year, as compared to the last three academic years, with rates soaring among English learners, economically disadvantaged students, and students with disabilities. https://www.wbur.org/edify/2021/05/01/boston-schools-see-4-3-enrollment-decline-this-yearSeventeen percent of Massachusetts students have been categorized as chronically absent — meaning they missed 10% or more of their enrolled school days — through March of the 2020-2021 school year, according to Department of Elementary and Secondary Education numbers updated Friday.