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APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) — A new effort to get kids in class is underway in the Appleton Area School District.
Since coming back from the pandemic, the district has seen more kids who fail to show up for class.
“There’s a small number of students at the middle and high schools who are making poor decisions regarding attending class,” said Superintendent Greg Hartjes. “So they’re in school, but not always attending class. Instead they’re hanging out in bathrooms, the commons, locker rooms, and other unsupervised areas.”
If students are unexcused from class, they could be issued a hold-open ticket for trespassing from the Appleton Police Department.
“We would work with that students and say ‘Alright, if over the next four weeks you have no unexcused absences, we will close out the ticket and there would be no fine.'” said Hartjes. “It’s our hope that no student would ever have to pay.”
But if the student continues to miss class, they could face a fine of $200.
This isn’t the first effort made by the district to address the problem; Hartjes says this was a last resort after other methods of getting students to go to class have been unsuccessful. Some of those measures included having students who frequently miss class meet with an established mentor to create goals related to attending class, and even giving gift cards to students who struggle with attendance if they attend all their classes in a given time frame.
“This is really a last-resort because none of those were changing the behaviors that we wanted to change,” said Hartjes. “We’re at a point where we’ve exhausted all of those proactive actions and now we’re looking at something that’s more of a consequence.”
The district issued a statement regarding the policy:
The Appleton Area School District is actively engaging with the Appleton Police Department to enhance support for our middle and high school students who face challenges with consistent class attendance. Our collaborative effort aims to guide these students toward making positive decisions about their education. We have reiterated the importance of regular attendance through discussions during homeroom/flex periods and personalized dialogues with students who demonstrate irregular attendance patterns. These conversations occur within the framework of Student Support Team meetings, where we explore strategies to ensure consistent class participation.
We are committed to the success of all students and actively engage with students and families to overcome challenges related to attendance. The safety and well-being of our students are paramount, especially when they are within school premises but not in their scheduled classes. Failure to adhere to staff instructions or to remain in designated areas could result in disciplinary measures, including detention, in-school suspension (ISS), out-of-school suspension (OSS), or even a hold open ticket for trespassing issued by the Appleton Police Department. The use of hold-open tickets serves as a restorative justice tool, reserved as a final measure to uphold safety and encourage classroom attendance. This approach reflects our dedication to supporting students’ educational paths and ensuring a safe, conducive learning atmosphere for all.
We encourage families to promote consistent attendance, enabling students to maximize their educational outcomes. We believe in the critical role of daily class attendance in fostering a rewarding educational journey, significantly impacting a student’s academic and personal growth.
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