SYRACUSE, NY (CNY Central) — Our relentless coverage on what experts call a crisis: too many students consistently missing school.
CNY Central’s previous reporting already confirms this problem, though widespread, is at an extreme level in Syracuse.
A spokesperson from the Syracuse City School District said nearly 600 kids are missing at least 100 days of school.
An area lawmaker says he’s learned it’s kindergarteners who are absent from class the most here.
Sometimes consistent absences from class can be attributed to what’s called educational neglect. That means, a student’s parent or guardian is hindering their ability to get to school each day and learn.
“The parent or guardian of the child has to be shown to be standing in the way, acting as a hindrance, standing in the way of the child attending school,” explained Daniel Gvertz, a family law partner at Tully Rinckey PLLC.
He works with families being accused of educational neglect. It starts with school administrators contacting their department of social services to start an investigation, which means speaking with teachers, counselors, and other school staff.