LAWRENCEBURG, Ind. — There is a new program in Dearborn County schools this year to help combat truancy.
Indiana's student absenteeism rate is among the highest in the country at about 40%.
Administrators told WCPO that the problem began during the pandemic and is still ongoing. Truancy numbers were so high, the issue caught the attention of state lawmakers.
The Indiana legislature passed Senate Bill 282 earlier this year, which requires districts to have a standardized truancy plan that clearly defines the actions taken when students are unexcused from class.
Dearborn County Circuit Court Judge Aaron Negangard is part of the collaboration working on the truancy issue.
“We have some very serious issues here locally where parents are having problems getting their children to school," Negangard said.
Negangard said it's important districts develop a plan while students are still young.
"What we’re hoping is with this program to intervene at a much younger age when these problems first develop and give parents the skill sets they need so they can overcome these issues," he said.
The actions for unexcused absences range from a parent letter to an in-school suspension, all the way to a probation hearing with the courts.
Negangard said the new policy will help catch kids who are slipping before they've missed too many days of school.
“Some of these kids are missing 30, 40 or more days. When you’re only going to school 180 days out of the year, you can’t really catch up or get an education under that format,” he said.
Negangard said some of the concerns around truancy is that students are more likely to be involved in crimes like substance abuse and shoplifting. But he's more concerned about their overall wellbeing and how it shapes their future.
“It’s a huge detriment to their mental health and so what we’re trying to do is make sure they’re in school or getting an education in some format so they can learn to be productive members of society," he said.
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