A new joint initiative between the Sangamon County State’s Attorney’s Office and the Regional Office of Education is taking a tougher, more coordinated approach to chronic truancy. It combines social services with a stark warning: get children back in school or face legal consequences.
The effort, spearheaded by Sangamon County State’s Attorney John Milhiser and Regional Superintendent Shannon Fehrholz, was on display April 10 during a meeting inside a courtroom at the Sangamon County Building. Parents and guardians of chronically absent elementary school students were summoned not for prosecution — yet — but for what officials described as a final opportunity to change course.
“We’re doing this because we care that much about our community,” Milhiser said. “We care about these children. We know they’re better off if they’re in school.”
The initiative stems from years of collaboration among schools, law enforcement and social service agencies. Milhiser said those discussions increasingly pointed to one conclusion: keeping children in school is one of the most effective ways to prevent crime and improve long-term outcomes.
National data underscores the urgency. According to education researcher Nat Malkus, a senior fellow with the American Enterprise Institute who was interviewed by Illinois Times, chronic absenteeism — defined as missing 10% or more of the school year — has surged since the COVID-19 pandemic. Before the pandemic, roughly 15% of U.S. students were chronically absent. That figure peaked at about 28.5% in 2022 and, while improving, remains elevated at roughly 22.8% today.
“That’s still about 50% higher than where we were six years ago,” Malkus said. “We’ve seen it everywhere.”
Malkus said the causes are complex, ranging from poverty and transportation issues to illness. But he argues the pandemic fundamentally changed habits and expectations around school attendance.
“I think what really changed is the cultural expectation around attendance,” he said.
That shift, he said, has proven difficult to reverse — even among younger students who were not yet in school during pandemic shutdowns.
“There are at least 800 chronic truants in all the school districts in Sangamon and Menard counties,” Fehrholz said.
“The pandemic didn’t just cause short-term changes. It changed habits,” Malkus said. “And those habits have not snapped back.”
Inside the Sangamon County courtroom, Associate Judge Karen Tharp delivered a blunt message to parents, many of whom had already been contacted multiple times by schools.
“You have not been charged with anything yet — and I stress yet,” Tharp said. “But this is your last opportunity to avoid having an actual court case filed.”
Under Illinois law, a child is considered chronically truant after nine unexcused absences in a school year. Tharp said some children in the group had far exceeded that threshold.
“Some of the children in this group have over 100 unexcused absences so far this year,” she said. “The lowest I could find was 32. That is totally unacceptable.”
Tharp outlined both the legal risks for parents — including criminal charges, fines and possible jail time — and the long-term consequences for children.
“Being a chronic truant in elementary school is one of the major predictors of who will end up as a high school dropout,” she said. “This is your wake-up call. We are done asking. We are done pleading.”
Malkus cautioned that while legal consequences can play a role, they are unlikely to solve the problem on their own.
“There are so many more kids chronically absent now that there simply isn’t the capacity in the legal system to handle it at this at scale,” he said. “Even if it were a good idea, we’re not up to the task.”
Still, he acknowledged that accountability measures can send an important signal.
“Trying to get kids back to school without signaling that this is serious is difficult,” Malkus said. “There need to be some consequences — but they need to be reasonable.”
That balance between enforcement and support is at the heart of the Sangamon County initiative.
Fehrholz emphasized that the April 10 meeting was not just about warnings, but about connecting families with help. Representatives from schools, mental health providers, youth services and homelessness programs were on hand to assist parents.
“We’re here to support you,” Fehrholz told those gathered. “If there are barriers, let us help you remove them.”
Milhiser said identifying those barriers is key, whether they involve transportation, housing instability, health issues or family challenges.
“There are a whole host of reasons,” he said. “That’s why these meetings are important— so we can connect families with providers and eliminate as many of those barriers as we can.”
Still, the initiative carries real consequences. Parents who fail to improve attendance could face prosecution or neglect petitions in juvenile court. In extreme cases, children could be removed from the home.
Tharp said those steps are not theoretical.
“I have sentenced parents to jail time,” she said. “I have removed children from their homes. And if it’s necessary, I would do it again.”
Attendance at the initial session was limited — about half of those summoned appeared — but officials say more meetings are planned, and more families will be contacted.
Milhiser said the stakes are too high to ignore.
“Is this going to work? I don’t know,” he said. “But we have to try everything we can.”
For Malkus, the challenge ultimately comes down to rebuilding a shared commitment between families and schools.
“School works best when there’s a handshake between parents and educators,” he said. “When that breaks down across a large group, it’s very hard to fix.”
For Sangamon County officials, the hope is that a mix of pressure, resources and renewed expectations will help restore that partnership before more students fall behind.
This article appears in April 23-29, 2026.
