Truancy Court is a community collaboration led by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. The purpose of the program is to eliminate barriers to regular school attendance, provide comprehensive support services to students with excessive absences, and assist families with developing important connections with schools.
The mission of Truancy Court is to improve student attendance in a nurturing manner that builds relationships between students, families, schools and the community. The program, led by school social workers, offers parents and students the opportunity to examine the root causes of attendance problems and resolve the issues that create barriers to regular school attendance. Students and parents are invited to participate in a ten week, intensive intervention program with district and superior court judges. The assigned district or superior court judge, school social worker and other support staff make up the truancy team at each school site and work with students and families to develop a comprehensive plan to address their needs. The role of the judge is to provide guidance, support and accountability as students and families work to overcome attendance problems.
The Truancy Court program is coordinated by Marina R. Leonidas, Truancy Court Coordinator. Mrs. Leonidas oversees implementation of the Truancy Court program. She also provides direction, consultation, training and support to school-based truancy teams, district and superior court judges and community partners.
The objectives of Truancy Court: