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District-backed truancy center reports roughly 300 students served; officials say program improves promotion rates
Summary
Jimmy Lestage, who runs the Truancy Assessment and Service Center, told the board the program served 316 students this year and that the majority progressed to the next grade; the center also pursues court action in persistent parental noncompliance.
Jimmy Lestage, the district attorney who runs the Truancy Assessment and Service Center (TASC) in partnership with the school board, reported to the Beauregard Parish School Board on June 10 that the program worked with roughly 316 students during the year and that most participants were promoted to the next grade.
Lestage told the board that “80% or 88% of those were promoted to the next grade,” and that a small number did not advance, some for serious family or health reasons. He said the center refers repeat parental noncompliance to the court system and that five families were required to appear before a judge this year.
Lestage described the center’s broader services beyond attendance enforcement: mentoring, outreach and holiday assistance for families in need. He credited retired-teacher volunteers and school staff for proactive outreach and said early contact with families helps reduce absences before students reach the five-absence reporting threshold.
Board members asked whether the district’s hybrid calendar produced any clear changes in truancy patterns; Lestage said he had not yet run a comprehensive month-by-month analysis but that juvenile docket volumes remain busy and that the center’s early-contact approach likely helps reduce absences over time.
The board thanked Lestage and TASC staff for the program’s work and for outreach during the school year.
