Class Not Court: Reconsidering Texas' Criminalization of Truancy (Full Report)

This report continues Texas Appleseed’s school-to-prison pipeline work by delving into how Texas’ approach to truancy is driving more children away from school and into the adult criminal courts. The report explores causes of truancy, evaluates the current approaches to addressing truancy, highlights the disproportionate impacts of truancy charges on certain groups of students, and makes recommendations for ways that the Texas Legislature, the Texas Education Agency (TEA), and school districts can increase attendance and help children in a meaningful way.