Truancy Services

School Attendance

New research suggests that chronic absence in any grades predicts whether a student will graduate high school and go on to enroll in college.  Students can be considered chronically absent even if they only miss a day or two every few weeks. Excused absences can be a problem, too - it isn’t just about skipping class. Attendance is an important life skill that will help your child graduate from high school & college and keep a job. Chronic absence can be reduced when schools, families & communities work together.

In the 2016-2017 school year, over 1,400 Lenawee students missed 10% of the school year. This is not just a matter of truancy; many children, especially in early grades, miss too much school because of chronic health problems, unreliable transportation, or housing moves. By paying attention to absences early in the school year and early in a child’s academic career, we can turn around attendance and achievement.

Who is reading on grade level by the end of third grade?

  • 64% of students with satisfactory attendance in kindergarten and 1st grade.
  • 17% of students who missed 18 or more days in kindergarten and 1st grade.

Truancy Resources

Michigan Compulsory School Attendance Policies

 

Contact

Chris Howard, Truancy Prevention Specialist, School Safety, and Homeless Education Coordinator
517-266-4837 | chris.howard@lisd.us

Kelly Shiels, Truancy Prevention Specialist
517-266-6984 | kelly.shiels@lisd.us