HOUSTON, Texas – Truancy and chronic absenteeism have been significant issues in Texas, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic. Data indicates that school districts across the state are struggling to address these challenges.
On Thursday at 6 p.m., 2 Investigates’ Robert Arnold will highlight a neighborhood affected by students skipping school and explore the measures the school is taking to address the issue.
Earlier this year, KPRC 2 Investigates examined truancy-related data submitted to the Texas Education Agency (TEA) over the last four school years. The investigation revealed that the Houston Independent School District (HISD), the state’s largest school district, reported no prevention measures and no truancy complaints filed against parents or legal guardians. Despite this, tens of thousands of students were reported as truant each year during the same period.
HISD is not alone in this struggle.
According to truancy data submitted to the TEA, approximately 1 million children were reported truant each year for the 2020-2021, 2021-2022, 2022-2023, and 2023-2024 school years. Additionally, data released under the Texas Public Information Act revealed that 13 to 14 percent of districts reported no truancy prevention efforts in the last four years. In contrast, between 60 and 64 percent of districts reported more truancies than prevention measures each year.
The Texas Education Code permits truancy complaints to be filed against parents contributing to their child’s non-attendance. However, the TEA disclosed that 48 to 52 percent of school districts reported filing no truancy complaints during the last four school years.
The issues of truancy and chronic absenteeism have sparked broader discussions among lawmakers and the TEA.
Following our report, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) initiated a review of the truancy data submitted by school districts over the past four years. That review is ongoing.
The following bills have advanced through the Texas House and are closer to becoming law:
SB 570 is one of the two bills authored by Senator State Sen. Paul Bettencourt/(R) Dist. 7 aimed at chronically truant students. The bill focuses on establishing and implementing attendance policies within school districts. It requires schools to track student attendance, notify parents about absences, and potentially hold meetings with parents if a student is facing attendance issues. The bill passed the Senate and is now in the House.
SB 991, the second bill authored by Bettencourt, focuses on chronic absenteeism. The bill expands the definition of students at risk of dropping out to include those who are truant or chronically absent. This allows schools to utilize resources and support systems to address the root causes of truancy and chronic absence. This bill also passed the Senate and is now in the House.
HB 213, authored by State Representative Mary González. The bill focuses on truancy and aims to include chronically absent students as at-risk students for funding and reporting purposes. It also requires school districts to report chronic absenteeism. The bill passed the House and is now in the Senate.
HB 2947, authored by former Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin, would again make truancy a misdemeanor offense punishable by fine only and raise fines to $150 for a first offense and up to $800 for fifth and subsequent offenses. The bill also creates a faster path to truancy court by only requiring schools to use one truancy prevention measure before being given the option of sending a student to truancy court. The bill has currently been left pending in the subcommittee and will not likely be passed during the Texas Legislature.
