Expert Believes Punitive Action Not a Solution to Truancy Issues in Wisconsin

Tuesday, October 17th, 2023 -- 9:01 AM

(By Corrinne Hess, Wisconsin Public Radio) Wisconsin student attendance rates reached new lows after the pandemic, but the reason children aren’t going to school is complicated.

According to Corrinne Hess with Wisconsin Public Radio, mental health issues, housing instability and crime can all play a role in keeping students out of the classroom, said Nicole Cain, manager of social work and community services for Milwaukee Public Schools.

"When I look at our current data about students experiencing homelessness, we are definitely higher than we were during the pandemic and pre-pandemic," Cain said. "And safety in the community, that's a huge concern for parents. When there's violence happening over the weekend, sending your kid to school on a Monday sometimes is really challenging."

Cain testified Monday before the newly formed legislative truancy committee. The group is one of four bipartisan task forces Assembly Speaker Robin Vos created in August to gather data and make recommendations by the end of the year.

The state's attendance rate reached a new low of 91 percent in the 2021-22 school year and nearly a quarter of students missed at least a month of school. A student is considered chronically absent when they attend less than 90 percent of school days.

The overall attendance rate for Wisconsin high school students was 89.7 percent. Data from the 2022-23 school year will be released in March 2024. Cain said about 15.7 percent of students in MPS are chronically absent.

She said the district has created a tiered approach to truancy. This includes district-wide messaging to families, attendance leaders in every school, flagging students for intervention, and reaching out to families when students have eight unexcused absences.

The truancy committee was asked by Vos to evaluate the current practices so parents and schools can be held accountable for student attendance. Committee members suggested ticketing parents who aren’t bringing their children to school.

But Cain told the group taking punitive action is probably not the best solution. She said there are liaisons in the district attorney's office who are social workers. Those liaisons meet with parents to talk about why children aren’t in school.

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