Alexandria high schools to tackle absenteeism

Caleb Amick, The Herald Bulletin, Anderson, Ind.
·2 min read
1

Dec. 13—ALEXANDRIA — Some students at Alexandria-Monroe Jr./Sr. High School have missed up to 35 days of school, which school officials believe is problematic.

Tom Jarvis, interim Junior/Senior high school principal, said school officials will be meeting with parents to tackle the issue.

"We've got to try everything we can to get those kids into class," he told the school board Monday evening.

Absenteeism is being tackled by school districts throughout Indiana.

Roughly 19.3% of students missed more than 3.5 weeks of school during the 2022-23 school year, which was more than 8% higher than the year before the pandemic, according to data presented during an Indiana State Board of Education meeting.

Following the pandemic, absenteeism has impacted students academically, particularly, in English/language arts and math.

In Alexandria, more than half the sophomores taking the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test did not meet expectations in both English and math.

The aptitude test is used to measure students' college readiness.

It is unclear if excessive absences directly affected Alexandria's PSAT scores.

Excessive absences could result in disciplinary action from the school and beyond.

Those with more than 10 unexcused absences per school year are considered habitually truant, according to Indiana's "Compulsory School Attendance Law," as cited in the Junior/Senior high school's student handbook.

Habitually truant students 13-14 years old could be unable to obtain a learner's permit or their driver's license until they are 18. The final decision depends upon other factors spelled out in the handbook.

Such students could also be reported to the Madison County Prosecutor's Office and/or Department of Child Services.

Parents who fail to ensure the child attends school could face up to 2.5 years in prison and/or a fine of up to $10,000 for not doing so, according to Madison County Prosecutor's Office.

Follow Caleb Amick on Twitter @AmickCaleb. Contact him at caleb.amick@heraldbulletin.com or 765-648-4254.