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District reports truancy and suspension figures; student services outlines next steps
Summary
Student services presented March truancy, hearing-office recommendations and suspension counts; staff described outreach and court referral processes for chronic absenteeism and plans to reassign case managers to high-priority schools.
Student services staff presented the board with attendance and discipline data for March, including school-level truancy counts, hearing-office referrals and suspension totals.
The report showed 656 students labeled truant across the district (K–12 enrollment cited as 5,404) and 85 hearing-office referrals at the time of the report; the suspension tally in the packet totaled 760 incidents districtwide. Staff said truancy hearings are scheduled every two weeks and that the district attempts multiple contacts with families before moving to court referrals. For chronic or unresolved attendance cases the district forwards matters to the appropriate circuit court when necessary.
Student-services staff said they are planning targeted supports, including reassignment of certain case managers to schools with higher attendance issues and use of existing providers that work with families on truancy and related barriers. The board asked whether attendance shortfalls could affect promotion for students; staff explained that high-school seat-time requirements (including a 120-hour threshold for course credit) and local attendance-enforcement policies can affect promotion and course credit outcomes.
Board members requested ongoing updates and noted the scale of elementary-level truancy at some schools; staff said they will present periodic progress reports and continue to coordinate outreach and enforcement steps.
