Resident alleges district failures in attendance response after child’s death, urges board action

Raven Holzer opened the public comment period with a detailed account of her cousin Alexavier J. Pedin’s absenteeism and what she described as delays and failures by school staff to follow district truancy and reporting procedures. "Alexavier was in kindergarten and was absent from school 61 days," she said, and later said that after the fifth truancy notice "the school's policy states that the school administration is to file J102 form with La Crosse Department of Human Services...unfortunately this did not occur." Holzer identified herself as the organizer of "justice for alexavier" and a resident of the La Crosse County School District.

Holzer said a March 10, 2022 notice and follow-up processes were not implemented in a timely way, that multiple truant letters were signed the same day and that the child’s biological mother was denied access to attendance records for months. She tied the account to broader attendance trends in the district, saying chronic absenteeism rose since the pandemic and asking how the 2024 elementary referendum would improve attendance follow-up and mandated-reporting practice. "I feel that Alexavier would still be with us physically today if more initiative was taken on following policy and procedure," she told the board.

Board members did not take immediate action during the meeting. At the close of the session several members raised concerns that meeting audio made parts of Holzer’s comments hard to hear and asked administration to reach out to the speaker for a written copy to ensure the record reflected her remarks. The superintendent and board said they would follow up on the procedural and transparency questions Holzer raised; no formal investigation outcome was announced at the meeting.