Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin on Tuesday threatened to report parents of students habitually skipping school without an excuse to the Jefferson County District Attorney for prosecution for truancy, and even possibly to the Housing Authority of the Birmingham District, which could endanger their subsidized public housing.

Speaking to the Birmingham City Council meeting, Woodfin said the truancy situation in Birmingham City Schools has become unacceptable.

“I’ll call the D.A. of Jefferson County,” Woodfin said. “Truancy is illegal. We hold parents responsible for their 8- and 9-year-old child just not going to school.”

Parents could be prosecuted, he said.

“I’ve also talked to leadership at the Housing Authority,” Woodfin said. “To be clear, you are putting your housing in jeopardy by allowing your child just to stay home. I don’t want to put any energy or coordinated effort into engaging the D.A.’s office and the Housing Authority to threaten parents to do what they are responsible for, for their child, but I will.”

It’s a community-wide problem, he said.

“It’s all of us,” Woodfin said. “All of us are responsible.”

But parents bear a special responsibility to get their children to school, he said.

“Our teachers cannot teach your child or children if they’re not in school,” Woodfin said.

“We are 10 weeks into the school year and there have been too many unexcused absences for our students,” Woodfin said. “Parents, teachers cannot teach your child if they are not in class. Please make sure your students are present. Parents, if you need help or guidance, you can reach out to the attendance department.”

Woodfin said the problem is systemwide, kindergarten through 12, but especially critical for third graders, whose reading proficiency and future literacy is at stake.

“I want to narrow this down and talk to you all about what’s happening in third grade,” Woodfin said. “A student is truant if they have seven or more unexcused absences. Out of 17 Birmingham schools, that’s elementary, K through 8th combined, well over 50 percent of third grade students are currently truant. You can’t blame that on the teacher, the school system. You can’t even blame that on the child, because most third graders are 7 and 8 or 8 and 9. That is the responsibility of the adult parent.”

Without naming them, Woodfin cited two elementary schools that serve public housing communities.

At one elementary school, 34 percent of third graders have had chronic absentees as of Oct. 17.

At another elementary school, 23 percent of students have been chronically absent in the third grade.

“That’s unacceptable,” he said. “It will be easy at the end of the year, students take the test in April, students don’t pass, student have to repeat the third grade, and everybody points their finger at the teacher. And I am telling you all that is not fair, that is not right. Teachers can’t teach if children are not in the classroom. Again, I’m putting emphasis on the word ‘unexcused.’ If a child is sick, if the child has an issue, I think as adults we all understand that.”

Woodfin said he understands that parents living in public housing may face challenges.

“I want to acknowledge issues exist in the community, wholesale,” he said. “There are issues at home, there’s trauma, there’s emotional issues, but unexcused after unexcused absences are unacceptable.”

Woodfin said parents with questions may call the city schools attendance number: (205) 231-2290.

“Please consider me publicly saying this as, ‘You are on notice’ if you are a parent that consistently allows your child to be out of school,” Woodfin said. “I’m saying this with as much love as I can, but I have no problem laying down the gauntlet as well.”

Council President Pro Tem Crystal Smitherman noted that the Alabama Literacy Act requires that any student from kindergarten through third grade with an identified reading deficiency be required to have a student reading plan.

“Mayor Woodfin’s right; if they don’t show up to school, how can you help them out?” Smitherman said. “Parents, you’ve got to get it together.”

City Council President Wardine Alexander also emphasized that the focus is on “unexcused” absences.

“No one is asking parents to send their children to school sick,” she said. “You can’t get educated if you’re not in the classroom.”

Jefferson County District Attorney Danny Carr was not immediately available for comment.