New truancy policy for Caddo schools

Caddo Parish school officials said next year, parents will have "no more excuses" for keeping students in class.

School board member Dottie Bell said at last week's meeting, she proposed placing all the information about truancy penalties in next year's student handbook.

The board unanimously passed the idea, and so in the first days of the 2012-2013 school year, all parents will have to sign off on the information in the handbook.
This year alone, the school district has referred more than 4,700 truant students and their parents to the Department of Juvenile Justice.

Bell said this eliminates excuses about ignorance of the state law and truancy penalties.

"They asked for the schools to be accountable, said Bell. "Now it's time for the parents to be accountable, and that's why I'm going to push this. Least we as a school board will let them know it's there, you read it, and now there's no recourse but for you to go further to the court system."