Louisiana
Louisiana schools have an absenteeism problem. The state has a new plan to fix it.
As the number of Louisiana students who frequently miss school grows, the state Department of Education has unveiled a new strategy for bringing them back.
The new guidelines released this week, called “The Power of Presence,” focus on district and community-level prevention and intervention efforts, rather than punitive measures, to improve attendance. They come as Louisiana’s absenteeism rate has risen the past two school years.
The 31-page guidebook also offers standard definitions of chronic absenteeism, which is when students miss 10% or more of a school year, and truancy to create consistency across school districts. It also emphasizes consistent data collection and reporting so that districts can better track at-risk students.
Some suggested interventions to promote student wellbeing and boost attendance include providing weekend food bags for students dealing with food insecurity, creating a closet with spare clothes for children whose families struggle to afford school uniforms, and encouraging students to join after-school activities.
While schools aren’t required to adopt the strategies, the framework is intended to give districts evidence-based solutions to combat poor attendance, which research has linked to numerous negative outcomes, including lower test scores, poor grades and a higher likelihood of becoming involved in the criminal justice system, education leaders said.
“We are facing a real and urgent challenge,” Sharon Clark, a member of the state education board, said during an annual teacher conference in New Orleans organized by the state education department. “Students are missing too much school, and we are feeling the impact.”
Even as Louisiana climbs in national education rankings, it was one of just five states out of 36 that have released data where absenteeism rates grew during the 2023-24 school year, according to information compiled by FutureEd, a Georgetown University think tank. Last year, nearly 1 in 4 Louisiana students was classified as chronically absent, up three percentage points from the previous year, state data shows.
“Louisiana is the only state in the country where the average student has made” a full academic recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic, state Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley said. “But that growth has been minimized by attendance and truancy issues.”
Louisiana’s goal is to reduce absenteeism by 2% annually, officials said. If it achieves that goal, nearly 45,000 fewer children will be considered chronically absent by the 2027-28 school year.
While the framework gives districts flexibility to tailor strategies to their needs, it includes a handful of “universal elements” each school system’s attendance plan should include. Those key strategies include creating partnerships with community organizations, such as churches and local government agencies; keeping families engaged in their children’s education; and forming attendance teams at the school and district level that help track data and coordinate efforts
The guidelines draw on findings from a program piloted by Baker High School two years ago that aimed to drive down absenteeism using simple strategies, such as sending letters home when students rack up absences and checking in with at-risk students to find out why they’re missing school and discuss solutions. After one year, the district saw its share of chronically absent students fall 13 percentage points, to 37%.
While many districts already employ some of the methods the state is encouraging, the new guidelines are the most comprehensive set to date and should lead to more uniformity across the state, said Misty Davis, executive director of attendance strategy at the state education department.
By asking every district to use the same language when talking about attendance, it makes it easier for the state to collect and analyze submitted data, Davis explained. For example, the guidelines make clear when schools should label student absences as excused or unexcused in data systems, she said.
State education department staffers will work with districts that continue to struggle with attendance and help them adopt some of the suggested strategies, officials said.
“This is getting everybody on the same page,” Davis said, “about how we do it and what it looks and sounds like.”
NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – Louisiana State Police issued a Silver Alert Friday for a 76-year-old New Orleans man who has been missing since Wednesday.
Elbert Welch was last seen in the 1700 block of Holiday Drive on May 6 at approximately 11 a.m. State police received the request to issue a Silver Alert at approximately 6:54 p.m. Friday on behalf of the New Orleans Police Department.
Welch is a white male with brown eyes and black and gray hair. He is 5′10″ and weighs approximately 170 pounds. He was last seen wearing a khaki shirt, black pants and a blue baseball cap.
Family reports that Welch has a medical condition that may impair his judgment.
Welch is believed to be walking on foot in an unknown direction.
Anyone with information regarding Welch’s whereabouts is asked to immediately contact the New Orleans Police Department, 4th District, at (504) 821-2222 or dial 911. All questions should be directed to the New Orleans Police Department.
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Watch UL Diamond sports HCs talk wins and losses vs Troy, Coastal Carolina
Hear from UL softball and baseball HCs, Matt Deggs and Alyson Habetz following SBC play where Cajuns softball swept Coastal Carolina and baseball loss 2-1 to Troy.
Pressure is back on for Louisiana baseball, especially on the weekend in Sun Belt Conference play.
The Ragin’ Cajuns (30-19, 12-12) dropped their final midweek game of the season, losing 9-6 to the University of New Orleans in extra innings. Now, the Cajuns are back on the road for SBC play, needing every win they can get to better their chances of snagging a regional spot. They travel to Appalachian State for what will likely be a chilly three-game series against the Mountaineers.
Seventh-year head coach Matt Deggs will go with junior Cody Brasch to start Game 1, a spot the right-hander is becoming accustomed to. Saturday’s are for Andrew Herrmann, the most reliable of the Cajuns’ arms through the year. App State will start junior righty Nick DiRito on Friday, followed by junior righty Gage Peterson and junior lefty Tanner Nolan to close out the series.
Here’s how to watch Ragin’ Cajuns baseball in its SBC series vs App State (28-18, 15-9), including time, TV schedule, live score and streaming information.
Watch Louisiana baseball vs App State on ESPN+
Louisiana baseball vs App State live score
What channel is Louisiana baseball vs App State on?
TV: None
Livestream: ESPN+
Radio: Varsity Network, 96.5 FM
Louisiana vs. App State will be available live on ESPN+ streaming service for the teams’ ninth SBC series of the 2026 college baseball season. Matt Present will provide commentary from Beaver Field at Jim and Bettie Smith Stadium.
What time does Louisiana baseball play App State today?
- 5 p.m. Friday, May 8
- 2 p.m. Saturday, May 9
- 12 p.m. Sunday, May 10
The Louisiana vs. App State series starts at 5 p.m. Friday at Beaver Field in Boone, N.C., followed by Game 2 at 2 p.m. on Saturday. The Cajuns will close out the series at noon on Sunday.
Louisiana baseball vs App State weather update
Friday’s matchup will be played in semi-cloudy weather with sunshine throughout the day. It’ll be a high of 62 degrees and a low of 44 degrees. Winds will get up to about five to 10 mph, and there is less than a 7% chance of rain in the afternoon. Saturday’s game will be played in warmer weather with a high of 67 degrees, followed by Sunday’s high of 73 degrees.
Louisiana baseball vs App State history
Series record: Louisiana leads 14-9
In Lafayette: Series tied 6-6
In Boone: Louisiana leads 6-3
Louisiana’s last win: April 2, 2023 (6-0)
App State’s last win: April 1, 2023 (8-5)
Shannon Belt covers high school sports and the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns for The Daily Advertiser as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow her high school and Cajuns coverage on Twitter: @ShannonBelt3. Got questions regarding HS/UL athletics? Send them to Shannon Belt at sbelt@gannett.com.
Louisiana
Behind the Curtain: How Louisiana’s Parole System and Courts Shape Who Goes Free | The Lens
This week on Behind The Lens, the public gets a rare look inside one of the most powerful and least understood parts of Louisiana’s criminal justice system: the parole process.
In Louisiana, Parole Board hearings are sometimes held in public, offering families, victims, attorneys, advocates, and reporters an opportunity to witness how decisions are made about who is granted freedom and who remains incarcerated. But those hearings reveal more than individual cases. They expose the broader tensions shaping punishment, rehabilitation, public safety, and political pressure across the state.
Reporters Bernard Smith and Gus Bennett join editor Katy Reckdahl to examine how parole decisions are influenced not only by testimony inside the hearing room, but also by a growing wave of legal and political changes moving through Louisiana’s courts and legislature. From rulings connected to the Louisiana Supreme Court to election season politics and criminal justice reforms, the episode explores how policy decisions made at the highest levels can directly affect incarcerated people, victims’ families, prosecutors, and entire communities.
The discussion also breaks down how recent state actions involving sentencing, parole eligibility, election dynamics, and judicial oversight are reshaping Louisiana’s criminal justice landscape in real time. Together, the team examines the human consequences behind those decisions and what they reveal about accountability, power, and transparency inside the system.
Theme music by Podington Bear. Additional music “Fading Prospects” by Podington Bear (soundofpicture.com)
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