Regional education official outlines truancy interventions, grants and staffing strains

Dr. Patricia Hyatt, a regional education official, briefed the Executive Committee on Sept. 17 about core services her office provides, the grants it manages and local efforts to reduce truancy. Hyatt listed several grants administered through her office, including state‑funded alternate‑education and truancy programs, evidence‑based funding that fluctuates with enrollment, ISBE grants, an instructional coaching grant with federal dollars, and the McKinney‑Vento grant that funds a liaison for homeless students. "We do provide different, like, different clothing items," she said when describing interventions to remove barriers to attendance. On truancy, Hyatt said her office's seven truancy staff provide interventions beyond letters and calls, including home visits, meetings, referral to mental‑health services via IRIS (through the health department), and, when needed, material supports such as alarm clocks, clothing, gas cards and pest control paid under grant authority. She said most cases stem from home‑environment barriers and that interventions include working with parents and community partners. Committee members asked about the teacher‑certification shortage. Hyatt said regional staff audit teacher files and work with districts to ensure substitute or appropriate license coverage; she said vacancies remain and that encouraging new educators will be a multi‑year effort. "The teacher shortage is only getting worse," she said, adding that permanent substitutes are common and the shortage will require systemic change. No formal actions were taken. Hyatt's report was accepted and placed on file by the committee as part of the routine consent of monthly reports.