Waukesha district outlines attendance protocols, limits of truancy enforcement

The Student Services Committee of the Waukesha School District heard a detailed presentation on district attendance processes and state rules, with staff stressing prevention and supports alongside limited use of truancy citations.

Mark Leonard, director of student services, told the committee that “attendance is the key to student success,” and walked members through how the district and Waukesha County enforce compulsory attendance under Wisconsin statutes 118.15 and 118.16 and the district’s own policies (policy 5200 and policy 5130 referenced). Leonard said the district treats 10 total absences in a year as a major warning sign and begins closer review at five absences; under state law, truancy is defined as all or part of five or more unexcused days in a semester.

Leonard said the district uses a tiered approach. Families receive monthly attendance summaries through Infinite Campus; at five absences the student is flagged for building-level follow-up, at 10 absences the…