DETROIT (AP) — Detroit schools are stepping up efforts to improve attendance, including working with prosecutors on cases involving students with many unexcused absences.
The Detroit Public Schools district announced the policy Friday.
The district says that three times of arriving more than 15 minutes after the start of class will equal one unexcused absence. After three unexcused absences, a phone call will be made to the student's home and an attendance agent will be notified.
With the sixth unexcused absence, the student will be referred to an attendance agent and intervention may include home visits by the state Department of Human Services. More than nine per school year will bring a truancy referral to Wayne County prosecutors.
In Michigan, parents can face fines or jail time if children don't go to school.
