A view that factors schools can't control are the reason school attendance is static.

About 600 schools are struggling to reach the 2030 goal of having 80 percent of students attending more than 90 percent of the time.

That's almost one in four schools.

Principals' Federation President Leanne Otene told Ryan Bridge this data includes both unjustified and justified absences - as well as transience.

She says this can be kids needing to move around for social housing, or those in families impacted by high unemployment.