NYC Schools to Deploy 'School Avoidance' Liaisons Across All Buildings

New York City Public Schools, the nation's largest school district, will assign dedicated liaisons to every school building to address student "school avoidance" and "school refusal"—behaviors that contribute to chronic absenteeism and are characterized by persistent resistance to attending school due to emotional distress, according to the School Avoidance Alliance.

The liaison role will involve identifying and responding to school avoidance behaviors, as well as addressing mental health and psychological barriers to attendance, according to details released last week by the Legal Aid Society and law firm Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman. The two organizations have been involved in a federal lawsuit against the district since 2024, alleging insufficient educational supports for students with disabilities who experience school avoidance. As part of the resolution, the district is collaborating with these groups to launch the liaison program.

Background and Context

Chronic absenteeism surged following the COVID-19 pandemic, with students with disabilities nationwide particularly affected by the lack of services needed to maintain a free and appropriate public education during distance learning. Anecdotal evidence suggested that lawsuits against districts across the U.S. increased from various student groups alleging inadequate accommodations, including those from students with disabilities.

According to data published in the National Library of Medicine in 2022, school refusal affects up to 15% of youth. It can stem from anxiety, depression, sleep problems, or other emotional distress. These behaviors may begin gradually—such as students feigning illness or having meltdowns before school—and can develop into consistent patterns that disrupt academic progress, family routines, and emotional well-being, per the School Avoidance Alliance.

The 2022 research indicated that schools should focus on increasing attendance "by providing support in areas of academic achievement, social interactions, emotional distress and teacher-student relations." The School Avoidance Alliance emphasizes on its website: "Importantly, school avoidance isn't about laziness or manipulation. Their distress is real, and their behavior is often a coping mechanism for something deeper."

The Lawsuit and Settlement

The October 2024 lawsuit, filed on behalf of New York City parents and students, alleged that the district lacked a system to identify and evaluate school avoidance, thereby denying students with disabilities their right to a public education. The district has since entered into an agreement to resolve the case, working with the suing parties to develop a plan, according to the law firm representing students and parents.

"This agreement enhances our citywide framework by improving early identification, expanding family partnerships, and establishing a dedicated School Avoidance Liaison in every school to coordinate timely, student-centered supports," said Onika Richards, deputy press secretary for NYC Public Schools, in an Aug. 13 emailed statement to K-12 Dive. "By doing this, we are creating school environments where students feel connected, supported, and ready to learn."

Key Provisions of the Agreement

In addition to requiring a liaison in every school building, the agreement mandates the district to:

• Provide annual professional development to designated staff so they can recognize avoidance and offer student support.
• Create standardized school guidance on family outreach and engagement when school refusal is identified.
• Encourage individualized "attendance success plans" for families to address attendance barriers.
• Provide flexibility in special education evaluations, such as allowing certain psychological updates to be conducted remotely or permitting alternative evaluation locations for students whose disabilities prevent school attendance.
• Monitor districtwide implementation of the program and track school compliance.

About 46% of students with disabilities were chronically absent during the 2022-23 school year, according to district data cited by The Legal Aid Society. The settlement requires the district to focus on identifying systemic disability-related barriers and connecting affected students with appropriate supports and services.

"Students whose disabilities make it difficult to attend school deserve individualized supports that address the root causes of their absences, not just the absences themselves," said Susan Horwitz, director of the Education Law Project at The Legal Aid Society, in an Aug. 6 statement. "The longer students experiencing school avoidance are out of school, the more difficult it becomes to help them return."

The district is required by the agreement to create materials for schools and staff to implement the program by Jan. 1, 2027, according to Chalkbeat's reporting.