MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Tens of thousands of Shelby County students are considered truant, and community leaders gathered Saturday to discuss how to address the problem before families become involved with the court system.
The Memphis Shelby Crime Commission hosted a town hall at New Salem Baptist Church as part of its effort to develop the next five-year Safe Community Action Plan.
Educators, juvenile justice officials, and community leaders discussed the connection between school absenteeism and delinquency, with panelists noting that many truant students are elementary school children, not just teenagers…