Wise County, Texas. is going high-tech on truants.
To keep tabs on students who are habitually absent, Justice of the Peace Terri Johnson can now place a GPS ankle monitor on them for 30 days. “I’m not looking to convict students but to help them,” said Johnson, who presides over Precinct 2 in Decatur. “We want to help them go to school, and 30 days can do a lot to change up their behavior.”
No students have been sanctioned with the monitor yet, but doing so would allow Johnson to know where they are at all times.
The monitors, which are more commonly used to keep track of convicted felons on probation, are the latest move in stepped-up efforts across North Texas to curb truancy and help turn around climbing dropout rates…
Johnson said she saw about 320 truancy cases last year.
Oftentimes, students will correct their behavior if they are held more accountable, Johnson said. She said students who have already appeared before her court and are cited again for truancy could be candidates to use the new system.
Har! On one hand I hate the idea of tracking people electronically. OTOH, if their families aren’t doing anything to assure they attend school, maybe the state has to step in?
Eideard 
If a student is somewhere else, Johnson will be notified via e-mail on her computer and cellphone. She then will send a sheriff’s deputy out to pick up the student
I grow more and more discouraged that more and more people are more and more willing to consider more and more of these measures for more and more situations.