CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — New numbers show the Corpus Christi Independent School District has seen a decrease in truancy cases in the past two years.
Student Support Services Director Ronald Kanipes said truancy is a habit that can be difficult to kick.
"Absenteeism is generational," he said. "You'll see if you pull up a kid in high school he's had attendance problems if you look all the way back to kindergarten and first grade."
Kanipes said that in the 2022-23 school year CCISD filed 1,327 truancy cases in court. During the 2023-24 school year they saw 752 cases filed in court.
He said that each case of truancy is different.
"They have medical concerns, sometimes they have an older student that is taking care of their siblings sometimes because their parent is working," Kanipes said.
There are certain circumstances that can even exempt someone from being taken to court.
"If those students are homeless or pregnant, then we would not take them to truancy court," he said.
American Federation of Teachers President Nancy Vera said that truancy can also be linked to parental guidance.
"Many times, many parents are complacent, or they're on drugs, or they're in jail, or they commit crimes and those children have no where to go," she said.
Vera said that it all boils down to more man power.
"We need better counseling, we need social workers, we need psychologists and psychiatrists. We need more services," she said.
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