Truancy remains one of Louisiana’s toughest education challenges. Many parents assume charter schools avoid this problem because families choose them. But Tony Cain of the Louisiana Truancy Task Force says that belief is wrong. He explains that charter schools are public schools. They enroll students with the same complex needs found in traditional campuses.
Cain says some students leave their assigned schools when pressure builds over chronic absences. They transfer to a charter school hoping the issue disappears. But the problem follows them. He notes that self-selection is a myth in most places. In New Orleans, charter schools operate through a lottery. They serve children from every neighborhood. And those children bring serious home challenges that often drive truancy.
Cain points to apathy from students and parents as a major factor. Some families struggle with poverty, instability, or unsafe environments. Students focus on survival, not school. Others have had negative experiences with educators and no longer see the value in attending. Some students are gifted with their hands but feel defeated by traditional academics. They quietly disengage and sometimes shift to homeschooling as a way to drop out.
Charter schools respond differently because each school has the freedom to design its own approach. A school serving autistic children, for example, will handle attendance needs in a unique way. Cain says innovation is part of the model, but trial and error is unavoidable.
He argues Louisiana’s biggest weakness is enforcement. Truancy cases move slowly through juvenile courts. A case filed in September might not resolve until May. Discipline loses relevance. Cain believes the state needs a dedicated truancy magistrate system.
To fight truancy, Cain says schools need staff dedicated to attendance and accountability. Smaller charters may need to share those resources. He calls for timely consequences and stronger statewide systems to get students back in class.