DeKalb County School students who miss 18 school days per year-regardless of the cause-will be considered chronically absent under a new regulation from the State Department of Education. The number of chronically absent students will also reflect on the overall performance score given to the school system. Joey Reeder, the school system’s Attendance Supervisor, reports that beginning with the 2017-18 school year the state will be using a new accountability measure called the Chronically Out-of-School Indicator.