Truancy policies bully students with disabilities, parents say
March 16th, 2009From the Dallas Morning News:
Parents of children with disabilities in the Dallas suburbs say the Farmersville, Frisco and McKinney school districts are pushing truancy policies too far.
They say the districts are using truancy charges in an effort to force children with disabilities out of their schools. The districts have denied the charges.
“To suggest or imply that we would pursue filing truancy charges as a means of driving students and families out of the district is offensive,” said Shana McKay-Wortham, the Frisco ISD’s spokeswoman. “We do take extenuating circumstances into account, and we work very closely with our families to try to help with interventions prior to filing truancy.”
McKay-Wortham said the number of truancy convictions has jumped because the district recently hired a full-time truant officer and because they “are serious about keeping students in school.”

