As special education inclusion policies become more widespread, classroom compositions are changing in ways that affect all students. The present study fills a critical gap in the literature by documenting the extent to which having a classmate with an emotional disturbance (ED) is linked to kindergarteners' absences. Because having a classmate with an ED is associated with total absences and with chronic absenteeism, it could be the case that those students whose absences are most associated with the presence of a classmate with an ED are those who were already on the margin of being classified as chronically absent. Thus, policymakers might be concerned that those students who had many absences to begin with may be tipped into the category of chronic absenteeism by the addition of a peer with an ED to their classrooms. The results of this study illustrate an association between reduced student absences and having a teacher who is certified in special education. Teachers who have attained a special education certification, however, have studied fundamental behavioral analytics protocols. These can be applied in the classroom to reinforce positive target behaviors by the student with an ED, assist with stimulus control, and maintain established behavioral repertoires so that the general classroom environment is more conducive to teaching and learning for all students. Tables are appended.