Vermont superintendents urge supportive response, tighter home-study checks in chronic-absenteeism bill

Montpelier — Superintendents and district leaders urged the House Education Committee on Feb. 11 to reshape a committee bill on chronic absenteeism so it emphasizes supports and early intervention rather than automatic referrals to child-welfare or court pathways.

Libby Bone Steele, superintendent of Montpelier Roxbury Public Schools, told the committee the bill "as written essentially codifies a failing status quo," arguing that the mandate to notify a truancy officer after 20 unexcused days and the potential for Department for Children and Families (DCF) or prosecutor involvement can alienate families rather than reconnect students. "Punitive action must be the absolute last resort, not the first," she said.

Why it matters: Witnesses said chronic absenteeism is an early warning sign of broader problems — from health and anxiety to poverty and family responsibilities — and that a punitive first step can worsen outcomes for disadvantaged students. Montpelier Roxbury’s chronic-absence rate fell from about 32% at the pandemic peak to 16% after the district adopted…