APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — The Appleton Common Council approved a new truancy ordinance by a 9-6 vote on Wednesday night.
“We’re certainly optimistic that the decision tonight is going to mean that more kids are going to school,” said Appleton Area School District Superintendent Greg Hartjes.
Here are details on the new city ordinance:
- Tickets would be issued to students who don’t show up to school at all, or stop attending mid-year
- Fine is $250, can be absolved if student returns to school
- Takes effect Nov. 1
- Impacts high school students only
- Fines students, not parents
- Trial period, so it runs through 2025-26 school year
- Ordinance has no impact on existing truancy reduction programs
- Tickets differ from the controversial truancy court, which was struck down in 2019
- The Appleton Area School District requested the ordinance
The vote followed hours of debate, several amendments and multiple previous committee meetings.
“Teachers and school staff have remained adamant that this tool is necessary to deal with absent students,” said Ald. Katie Van Zeeland, who voted against the measure in the committee meeting last week, but switched after proposing an amendment. “In particular, they’ve told us the very existence of an ordinance will very quickly have a positive effect on student attendance.”
The district first brought up the possibility in March.
“These are the reasons why I will not vote in favor,” began Ald. Patti Heffernan, “is to give them more control and power over other people’s children.”
With the ordinance being a trial run, the council indicated it needs to see immediate results from the district.
“We think that there’s going to be immediate impact with students who are struggling with chronic absenteeism,” said Hartjes. “The shorter trial certainly doesn’t allow for a lot of data collection, but we think it’s enough that we’ll be able to collect the data that we need to show that this is something that’s going to work to support student attendance.”
This would only directly impact about 30 of the roughly 4,400 high school students in the district. It’s the final step in the district’s current multi-step plan for addressing student truancy. But the district also believes it will deter other students from frequently missing school and would consider any increase in attendance a success.
“For a student who hasn’t been to school in two years, success might be they engage with us and we can get them in school maybe one day a week, perhaps into an alternative program that better meets their needs,” said Hartjes. “Really, success is based on what’s best for each individual student.”
The fines will be $250 and can/could be absolved by returning to school. According to the district, 97% (407) of the 421 school districts in Wisconsin have some form of truancy citation ordinances in place.
Comments