Darlene Lynch ATLANTA — Efforts to make Georgia schools safer are worsening student absenteeism, a major problem that lawmakers have studied for the past several months. Chronic absenteeism is defined as missing at least 10% of a school year, which in Georgia is typically 180 school days. Lynch told lawmakers that their own efforts to make schools safe are contributing to absenteeism. The law has added layers of bureaucracy that are slowing new student enrollments, Lynch said, leaving kids languishing outside the classroom. "On average, the life expectancy of someone who has dropped out of high school is eight years less than someone who completed high school.