Senate Absenteeism Study Committee Focuses on Truancy
- Robert Aycock
- 6 minutes ago
- 3 min read
The Senate Study Committee on Combating Chronic Absenteeism in Schools met Oct. 16 at the Georgia State Capitol.
Committee Chair John Kennedy (R-Macon) opened the meeting with an explanation of the difference between chronic absenteeism and truancy. He explained that student truancy is generally defined by excessive unexcused absences, while chronic student absenteeism encompasses both excused and unexcused absences.
PAGE Survey Shows Educators Believe Absenteeism is a Major Issue More than 90% of responding Georgia educators believe that chronic absenteeism is an issue in their schools. This is one of the many findings presented in the recently released 2025 PAGE Educator Workforce Survey Report. Click on the link to the right to gain valuable insights into the state of Georgia's public education workforce and educators' perspectives on several important topics. PAGE member feedback from this and other surveys is already being reflected in study committee discussions.  Thank you for participating in these important information-gathering endeavors, and please complete PAGE's 2025 Legislative Policy Survey by Nov. 17. |
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Committee Hears About About Truancy, CHINS and TIPS
Judge Render Heard of the Tift Judicial Circuit Juvenile Court outlined the Children in Need of Services (CHINS) designation and discussed the process of CHINS cases, including various possible court-ordered remedies and services. Heard described the Tift County Truancy Intervention Project (TIP), which aims to address truancy issues outside of standard court proceedings. In this project, the court aims to identify root causes of a child’s chronic absenteeism and develop effective solutions. He explained that criminal truancy charges are not generally brought against parents in the Tift Circuit, as those proceedings are time intensive and often ineffective.
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Heard addressed various challenges faced by CHINS enforcement, including a lack of available services, difficulty accurately tracking absences, parents not providing proper homeschooling, ineffective enforcement options, and difficulties with order reviews and modifications.
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In a separate presentation, Tonya Malone Ferguson, executive director of the Truancy Intervention Project Georgia (TIP Georgia), spoke about the organization's history and current mission. TIP Georgia partners with Fulton County Juvenile Court to support truancy cases and Atlanta Public Schools to help improve attendance. She provided more detail on TIP Georgia's process for handling cases. Ferguson concluded by offering policy recommendations to address chronic absenteeism and truancy.
Fictional Child Adds Personal Perspective to Truancy Procedures
Margaret Schweizer, a child-welfare attorney and pro tempore judge in Fulton Juvenile Court, spoke in her personal capacity. She told the story of a fictional child named Jasmine, who served as a composite of real experiences, to show how various factors can lead chronically absent children to court detention and other detrimental situations. The factors Jasmine encountered included difficult home environments, system failures, and certain legal requirements. Schweizer also used Jasmine's story to illustrate how truancy procedures can inadvertently become part of the school-to-prison pipeline and outlined various actions and interventions that could have resulted in a more positive outcome.
GSCA Speaks to the Role of School Counselors
Jennifer Diaz with the Georgia School Counselors Association (GSCA) provided the counselor's perception of primary reasons for student absenteeism. Student illness is considered the most common reason for missing school; however, Diaz noted that false claims of illness could mask other underlying issues. Other major issues include increases in student anxiety levels and other mental health issues.
She provided committee members with an overview of how school counselors can support school attendance and outlined the actions school counselors take in response to student absenteeism.
Diaz noted that Georgia’s current funding ratio of one counselor per every 450 students is higher than both the best practice ratio of 1:250 and the national average of 1:376. She suggested solutions to combat chronic absenteeism and emphasized that increased financial support may be necessary.
Following the presentation, Sen. Billy Hickman (R-Statesboro) suggested that more attention should be focused on certain aspects of the QBE formula, such as poverty funding.
Sen. Shawn Still (R-Johns Creek) noted that the state had recently banned student mobile devices in grades K-8 and asked if Diaz supported extending the ban past eighth grade. Speaking in a personal capacity, Diaz voiced support for extending the ban on mobile devices and also banning social media for those under 16 due to its negative effects on children’s mental health.
Responding to questions by Sen. Freddie Powell Sims (D-Dawson), Diaz expressed support for increased truancy enforcement to improve parental support of school attendance.
Dougherty Educators Connect Vaping and Absenteeism
Two educators from Dougherty County spoke about how vaping in schools and subsequent student suspensions drive chronic absenteeism. They also described vaping-related health and legal issues and children’s access to vape products.
 | Next Meeting The Senate Study Committee on Combating Chronic Absenteeism in Schools is set to meet Nov. 20.  |