VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — A new state law is giving Volusia School leaders more power to intervene when a student is considered chronically absent. Last year, the district reported that 24 percent of students fell under those criteria.
The new law requires teachers to report students who miss school more than five times in a month to the principal. Executive Director for Graduation Assurance and Student Services at Volusia Schools, Mike Micaelf, said this allows district leaders to intervene earlier.
“So, day 5, we are already involved. Social workers are involved, we are meeting with parents and families where hopefully they’re doing whatever we are asking them to do to get their kids here on time, so we don’t have to hit that 15-day truancy,” said Micalef.
The problem of chronic absenteeism worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. Micaelf explained that, following this, Volusia Schools quickly started implementing early intervention programs.
Last year, the district also partnered with Advent Health to give more than 100 bicycles to students who were consistently missing school and lived within a 2-mile radius of their campuses.
Micalef believes some of this work is starting to pay off.
“We have early warning notification letters that go out on day 2, 4, 7, 9, 11, 14. We also constantly remind the parents that we are here to support them, not go against them,” said Micalef.
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