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Mishawaka board adopts handbook updates, debates chronic absenteeism and state cell-phone ban
Summary
At its June 10 meeting the School City of Mishawaka Board adopted targeted changes to the 2026–27 parent-student handbook — including formalizing "social probation" practices and aligning with Indiana's bell-to-bell personal device restriction — and engaged in extended discussion about chronic absenteeism, prosecutor involvement, and early intervention strategies.
The School City of Mishawaka Board of Trustees on June 10 approved targeted updates to the district's 2026–27 parent-student handbook and spent more than an hour debating chronic absenteeism and enforcement options.
Superintendent Dr. Stevens and Mr. Hartman presented the revisions, saying most changes were clarifications to align written policy with current practice. Mr. Hartman emphasized that "social probation" — which can limit participation in extracurricular events for students with attendance or behavior issues — is now explicitly in the handbook so parents and students see it in writing.
The board discussed several specific handbook changes. Staff said athletics eligibility language was clarified to avoid situations in which a student assigned to the Caveman Academy of Virtual Excellence could continue to play at another school while not attending classes. Dress-code wording was tightened to remove ambiguous terms, and the handbook now includes an infographic explaining the state's bell-to-bell prohibition on student personal communication devices during instructional time.
The meeting shifted into sustained discussion about absenteeism after board member Mr. Pemberton and resident David Strawn cited district attendance data. One figure cited during the meeting said 49.4% of students met the state 94% attendance threshold in 2025; board members characterized that as a concern because the inverse implies roughly half the student population did not meet the threshold. Mr. Pemberton said the trend has been "flatlined for the last 3 years" and urged a visible, tangible action plan.
Mr. Hartman described planned earlier-intervention steps at John Young — more home visits, letters, and parent meetings — to prevent students reaching chronic-absence thresholds that trigger referral to the county prosecutor. Ms. Chris Ermeti, leader of social workers, said the social-work team conducts much of the tracking and support; the district also relies on intermediary supports such as Casey Center before prosecutorial action. Dr. Stevens noted the prosecutor's office in St. Joseph County is one actor among many and said not all affidavits result in criminal cases.
Board members debated the role of prosecution in addressing absenteeism. Some members described referral to the prosecutor as a last resort and encouraged earlier, consistent interventions and clearer parent communication. Mr. Hartman said the district already schedules parent meetings at five unexcused absences and may intensify outreach before the statutory thresholds are reached.
In closing, the board voted to approve the handbook as presented. Dr. Stevens and Mr. Hartman said a more comprehensive handbook overhaul that intentionally solicits parent input would be appropriate before major substantive changes, but they framed the current updates as alignment and clarification of long-standing practices.
The board also discussed next steps for attendance improvement, including continued social-worker involvement, additional outreach, and coordination with county partners; no new district-wide punitive measures were adopted at the meeting.
