Some North Texas Students and Parents Facing Court for Classes Missed During the Pandemic

An education advocacy group calls for a moratorium on ‘prosecuting truancy’

By Talia Richman / The Dallas Morning News • Published March 31, 2021 • Updated on March 31, 2021 at 10:05 pm

More than 300 students and parents landed in court last semester for missing school in two Dallas-area districts.

The spate of truancy filings came as educators nationwide grappled with how to ensure that students showed up to class despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

But threatening legal action during such a stressful time — when many youngsters are still struggling with virtual school and face instability at home — is jarring, said Andrew Hairston, director of the Education Justice Project at Texas Appleseed.

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