The Kansas City School District has defined a plan to help reduce school truancy, presenting it to a Regional School Improvement Team.
The movement may aid reaching accord with members of the Kansas City Council who, yesterday, refused to sign on to an ordinance combating truancy.
A council committee on neighborhoods and public safety yesterday refused, for a third time, to sign on to a measure getting tougher with truant children and their parents. Some members want the school district to take a larger role. Today, the School District's Director of Student Interventions revealed a plan to hire truant officers again. Luis Cordoba first has to find money to do it, saying-- “August the First would be the expected date for me to identify funding to bring truant officers back to Kansas City.”
The schools laid off all truant officers more than a year ago. Corboda said school absentee rates show the effectiveness of having those officers to make home visits and corral youngsters who skip classes.
The Regional School Improvement Team is an arm of the Missouri Department of Education. It is part of the effort to regain accreditation for the Kansas City District. The agenda ranges from improved state testing (MAP) scores to improved attendance.