Attendance, juvenile justice, and Ohio’s budget linked in new reportA combination of economic factors is contributing to an upward trend in chronic absenteeism in Ohio’s schools, according to Secure Connections: How economic security helps kids get to school and slows the school-to-prison pipeline, a report released today by Policy Matters Ohio. “Statewide attendance data suggest chronic absenteeism is one legacy of racial red-lining, and an unsurprising result of Ohio’s unconstitutional school-funding formula,” said report author Tanisha Pruitt, PhD, a Policy Matters researcher. “Under-resourced schools have fewer supports for student mental and behavioral health, and fewer staff to engage meaningfully with students. “The SAFE Act set the stage with Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports: a model designed to restore and strengthen connections to school and improve outcomes for all kids,” said Pruitt. “But the legislature didn’t provide any additional funding to support educators as they adopt this model.”Pruitt added, “The Fair School Funding Plan will increase the amount of resources available to schools — but only if the legislature chooses to fund it in the next state budget.”