Tougher truancy bills receive mixed reviews
MADISON, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Fewer students are making it to school these days as truancy rates in Wisconsin are reaching new highs.
It's why lawmakers on the Speaker's Task Force on Truancy were tasked with addressing the issue.
Rep. Amy Binsfeld (R-Sheboygan), who chairs the task force, introduced a series of bills that aim to provide parents with more tools while also holding students more accountable. But the state's top education officials say most of the proposals take the wrong approach.
Since the pandemic, there's been a decline in the number of students who have reliably made it school and their multiple factors as to why. One of the biggest reasons is the lack of transportation.
The state's attendance rate reached a new low of 91% during the 2021-2022 school year, which includes 22% of students missing at least a month.
Milwaukee Public Schools was the worst in the state, according to DPI data.
And when a student misses multiple days, school districts send parents a letter notifying them.
One bill authored by Binsfeld and Rep. Paul Melotik (R-Grafton) would expand on that effort by adding language telling parents they can request an evaluation to see if their child needs additional resources, such as an individualized education program (IEP).
Bindsfeld said she's already working on an amendment to the bill after some expressed concerns it could overwhelm school districts by having more parents request IEP's.
"We want to make sure families know their options and at the same token not putting an additional burden on the school,' Bindsfeld said.
Another proposal would hold back students from advancing to the next grade if they are absent for more than 30 full school days.
The Department of Public Instruction, who's opposed to the bill, called the measure harsh.
"If you think holding back a young learner because of truancy when they have no control over getting to the school building, it seems to be an absurd punishment," said Tom McCarthy, Deputy State Superintendent.
Two additional bills would require DPI to create a truancy reduction grant program and allocate $2 million for it.
DPI would also be required to include in their yearly school district report cards information on how many pupils are absent from school without an acceptable excuse for 5 or more days, under another proposal.
The bills received a public hearing Wednesday in the Assembly Education Committee. DPI testified that while they're glad lawmakers are looking to address this issue, they believe a better solution would be providing districts with additional resources.
"It's going to take more resources and more support from this Legislature if they want to do something meaningful around truancy or absenteeism -- not what you're seeing in the proposals," McCarthy said.
Bindfeld said she understands there's no one-size fit approach to tackling the state's truancy problems.
"To try and think we can put out a few bills and it's going to go away is not realistic," she said. "We understand it's going to be a Multifaceted approach."