Some local activists are pushing the Ohio Senate to follow the House’s lead in passing a bill to overhaul policy to truant students.
It’s been nearly six months since the House passed the bill that seeks to address many truancy issues before they reach the courts. It would force schools to notify parents about students absences sooner, and would push schools to use diversionary program to help get kids back in school before a criminal complaint is filed.
"Currently what we do is children who are truancy simply get charged and attached to the criminal justice system (in) the majority of the cases right now," says Tammy Fournier-Alsaada, an activist who's been pushing the Senate to approve House Bill 410.
The Senate version includes similar changes for how schools address unruly behavior. Those changes would need House approval before the bill could be passed.
HB 410 originally cleared the House by a margin of 95 to 1.
