PIERRE, S.D.(WNAX)- South Dakota K – Twelve students lost academic ground during the pandemic but not as bad as other states.

Education Department Secretary Tiffany Sanderson told the Educational Standards Board last week that they are now getting new information on student success.

The statewide report card showed fifty one percent of tested students met the mark in English language and forty three percent were proficient in math.

Sanderson says that shows there is work to do.

Sanderson says the numbers of students missing classes  has gone up.

The attendance rate has dropped to eighty six percent from the pre-pandemic level of ninety two percent. Chronic absenteeism has risen to twenty two percent.