A sense of belonging was linked to academic performance for all students, but it was especially crucial for socially disadvantaged groups like African Americans, who have endured educational discrimination (Boston & Warren, 2017). High school social environments may develop race and culture silos, affecting students' sense of belonging. This study aimed to examine the relationship between student-teacher race congruence and absenteeism of comprehensive high school students and teachers in a large urban North Texas school district. The population for this study was all district high school students and teachers, grades 9-12, across 36 sites in 2021-2022. Assuming a statistical significance at 0.05, 18 of 36 high school campuses met the race congruence requirement to participate in the study. A significant difference in average teacher absenteeism was identified between congruent and non-congruent groups (p < 0.001). For African American student chronic absences, congruent and non-congruent groups did not differ significantly, p = 0.12, although clinical significance was established. As such, African American student performance suffers over time when teachers and/or students were missing from instruction. By critically engaging a continuum of systems to recruit, retain, and reward teachers of color, the study's results can help ensure that students of color have access to culturally relevant and rigorous curricula. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]