This past summer, the Lorain County Juvenile Court encouraged local school districts to take a more active role in handling their truancy cases. This was a significant change in the truancy process, whereas, in years passed, cases were overseen by county School Attendance Officers.
Midview Local School District administration immediately began planning what a successful school attendance initiative would look like for the 23-24 school year and beyond. They knew it was critical to support their families with a proactive, relationship-centric approach. And, to do so, an in-house Truancy Officer was needed.
They didn’t have to search long to fill the vacancy.
“A key part of addressing truancy is building trust and relationships with families. Our ideal candidate was someone who had already established a strong rapport with our students or had the natural ability to do so,” said Dr. Bruce Willingham, Midview Superintendent. “Our High School Instructional Support Assistant, Michael Young, had approached me earlier in the year to discuss his desire to make a greater impact in the district. He has been such a positive influence in the high school for the last 4.5 years and has already put in the work to build connections with our students. So, when the Truancy Officer position opened, I knew it would be something he would be interested in and a job where he would excel. I highly encouraged him to apply.”
“Big Mike,” as students and staff often refer to him, joined the Midview Local Schools team in 2019, serving in various roles, including MHS paraprofessional, MHS instructional support assistant, freshman boys basketball coach, and still currently, 8th-grade boys basketball coach and MHS Love Club Advisor. A positive influence in the classroom and on the court, Big Mike has spent the better part of his tenure creating genuine connections with students and staff.
“From buying new tennis shoes that I knew the kids would like to starting Fist Bump Fridays, that is how I broke the ice as a 6'8, 300 lb man who could be viewed as intimidating to some students,” said Mike Young. “I’ve always been a people person and have always wanted to impact as many kids as I could. So, when the Truancy Officer role became available I knew it would provide me with that opportunity.”
Young eventually accepted the position of Midview Local Schools Truancy Officer for the 23-24 school year. He works closely with Coordinator of Support Services Sharon Novak to review and monitor weekly student attendance data in the district’s five buildings. Based on these reports, Young checks in with students, makes phone calls to parents/guardians, conducts home visits, creates absence intervention plans, and in extreme cases, files unruly truancy complaints with the Lorain County Juvenile Court. He also prioritizes weekly rounds to each building to create and maintain connections with students and, of course, to pass out fist bumps on Fridays. In the warmer months, Young can be seen greeting students as they exit the buses in the morning.
“My favorite part about working in education, and specifically in this role, is just having the opportunity to impact kids and put a smile on their faces,” said Young. “You never know what a kid gets out of the car or off the bus feeling like or what they may be experiencing at home. But when they see me, they feel happy, we have a conversation, and they have a good day. Building and maintaining those relationships is what it’s all about for me.”
According to the Ohio Department of Education (ODE), chronic absenteeism in the state remains high at around 26%. While that’s down 3% from the year prior, student attendance remains a critical concern. Students need to be present to learn. Missing 10% or more of the school year, can lead to younger students struggling with learning to read by third grade, decreased achievement in middle school, and difficulty graduating high school.
Last school year, Midview Local Schools had over 400 cases of chronic absenteeism (10% or more of the school year missed). Young believes many students went undetected due to the large caseloads the county School Attendance Officers carried. This year, Midview’s goal is to catch absences early before they start adding up. “Kids see me in the halls and joke, ‘I’m not on your radar yet, am I?’ but they know we are here to check on them and provide support in any way we can,” said Young.
“Kids need positive relationships – they need to feel connected to school and want to come to school. Big Mike is able to successfully bridge that gap between families and the district through the great relationships he builds,” said Samantha Hess, Midview Middle and High School Social Worker. “From a collaboration standpoint, it’s great that the district now has someone in-house overseeing absences. Oftentimes, mental health challenges and decreased attendance go hand-in-hand. So, having the opportunity to work closely with Mike has been beneficial in meeting our student’s various needs.”
If an attendance issue should arise, Sharon Novak and Michael Young will work closely with families to determine if intervention supports are needed. Our student’s education is very important to us, and regular attendance is key!