CJCC members say truancy referrals have declined; call for better school feedback and coordination

The Rusk County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council heard an update on truancy efforts and found that referrals and related meetings have largely paused, prompting members to call for renewed coordination with school districts.

Participants said truancy court and the monthly truancy-related meetings have not consistently occurred in recent months and that the CJCC has not seen the referrals it once received. One attendee said the last truancy case they handled in their jurisdiction dated to last May and recounted a high-school senior with more than 100 days absent who received a fine and no substantial intervention. Members said that, in past years, the truancy initiative achieved steady referrals—about 20–25 cases in 2024 when it was active—but that the work has lapsed as staff and school contacts have changed.

School administrators and meeting participants told the CJCC that one reason referrals fall off is they receive no feedback about outcomes; members urged creating a feedback loop to let schools know what happened after a referral. Participants also said quarterly security and truancy-coordination meetings that had been scheduled previously were not occurring regularly and asked staff to reestablish those forums.

Attendees noted staffing turnover and the absence of a juvenile justice worker as complicating factors and asked county staff to schedule a follow-up meeting with school administrators and the juvenile justice team. Meeting participants named former regular attendees such as Troy Gatto and said they would reconnect with district administrators to re-start the process.

No formal policy change was adopted at the meeting; members directed staff to contact school leaders, reinstate regular coordination meetings, and report back at the next CJCC meeting.