GRAND RAPIDS, MI - State Rep. Andy Schor, D-Lansing, is scheduled to formally introduce legislation on Jan. 8 that would take away or deny driver’s licenses to students who are repeatedly absent from school, according to the Michigan Legislative Services Bureau.

West Michigan superintendents are eager to learn more details about House Bills 5208 and 5209, currently not available online, including how many student absences would trigger a license suspension or denial, and how exactly the law would be enforced.

The way the legislation has been described, it would compel judges to notify the Secretary of State in cases of truancy. The SOS would then have to suspend the licenses of juveniles who have been found by a circuit court to have been willfully and repeatedly absent from school for six months. Juveniles who haven't yet been issued a license would be denied one.

"A parent can do the same thing the proposed state legislation is trying to do," said Rockford Superintendent Mike Shibler. "It is really the responsibly of parents to make sure their kids get to school on time and are ready to learn, not be truant."

"I recognize that there are situations where parents don't have that influence and because a driver's license is a priority of many young people 16 and above, the legislation could be a resource."

But Godfrey-Lee Superintendent Dave Britten questions the impact the legislation would have on the truancy problem statewide. He said most of his students are from low-income families where truancy is highest, and they either don't take driver's training or don't have a car they can drive because of the cost.

"This bill might have a small impact but does nothing substantial to lessen the root causes of truancy," he said. "Our district's ALL DAY, EVERY DAY campaign coupled with our Kent School Services Network wrap-around support does just that and it's working."

The Godfrey-Lee campaign, launched this summer, is a partnership with Wyoming Police and aims to draw attention to truancy through advertisements, sending letters home to parents about the issue, offering more support for at-risk students and improving the district’s data monitoring practices.

Grand Rapids schools also is battling chronic absenteeism. Superintendent Teresa Weatherall Neal is working with the police and has issued an attendance challenge to every school building to reduce chronic absenteeism by up to 10 percent.

Neal and the school board have not discussed the proposed new legislation.

"Children need to be in school learning," Schor told the Associated Press. "Schools have truancy plans in place, and this will be another way to ensure that students are in the classrooms.

"With state law now requiring students to be in school until age 18, we have one more tool to ensure that they are in school and learning."

Schor could not be reached for further comment.

Jenision Superintendent Tom TenBrink said he thinks educators and lawmakers have to be willing to at least explore new resources, including driver's licenses, that can be used to get teens to comply with mandatory school attendance.

"A driver's license is a privilege, not a right," TenBrink said about getting a teen's attention focused on the importance of being in school. "Most parents want their kids in school but some have lost the authority in their homes and don’t know what to do. You can pass a law, but enforcement is where it is difficult."

Related: As Godfrey-Lee schools seek to combat truancy, see attendance rates at Kent County districts

Related: Chronic absences: Grand Rapids schools working with police, state DHS to crack down on truants

Monica Scott is the Grand Rapids K-12 education writer. Email her at mscott2@mlive.com and follow her on Twitter @MScottGR or Facebook

