Appleton Area School District PC: Fox 11 Online
APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Attendance levels at Appleton’s three high schools are at their best since before the COVID-19 pandemic.
It comes about six months into a one-year trial period allowing the Appleton Area School District to issue truancy citations.
“Those were the outcomes we had expected, but certainly, we feel good that that’s what it has come to,” said AASD Superintendent Greg Hartjes.
Citation not immediately given
A student who is absent for 9+ days, excused or unexcused, doesn’t receive a citation right away. Instead, the district offers support for the student to increase his/her attendance.
“We have a long process of support that goes into place when a student is missing school,” said Hartjes. “It’s working with our attendance team. We might assign a mentor. We might look at how transportation could support a student.”
Students cite possible ticket as deterrent
Only one citation has been issued so far, as the district kept all its previous truancy support services in place before a citation is issued.
- Issued only to students who never show up to school
- Issued only to high schoolers
- Issued directly to the student, not the parent
- Citations are $250
The rates of students considered chronically absent or habitually truant are down 2-3 points from last year and the highest overall since the 2018-19 school year.
Students who do improve their attendance after being chronically absent or habitually truant for a period are surveyed afterwards. 52% of students say they improved their attendance to avoid a truancy citation.
Truancy discussion was hotly debated last fall
The decision to allow truancy citations for a one-year trial period was highly contested last fall. Debate was mostly centered around the citations disproportionately impacting minority communities or the citations being too punitive.
The legal process:
- Appleton Common Council blanket authorizes the district to issue citations
- The district chooses whether a student should receive a citation
- The Appleton Police Department carries out the citation
Only active for 2025-26 school year
The trial period allowing the district to issue citations ends this spring. The Common Council will revisit in June whether to continue the program, according to Hartjes. If the Common Council passes it, Appleton will join the roughly 400 school districts who can issue citations to chronically truant students (out of 421).
Hartjes said he hopes the trial period becomes a permanent policy, referencing the improved attendance numbers.
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