New Orleans, LA — Today, the Louisiana Supreme Court (LASC), the Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE), and the Louisiana Children’s Cabinet brought together over 375 leaders from across the state for the 2025 Solutions Summit at the Four Points by Sheraton Convention Center in Alexandria. This statewide event focused on addressing the critical issue of truancy and its widespread impact on children, families, schools, and communities.
Louisiana Supreme Court Chief Justice John L. Weimer stated: “This initiative marks a significant effort to address the challenges facing Louisiana students who are truant and at risk of entering the legal system. By bringing together all relevant stakeholders, we identified root causes from diverse perspectives. This collaborative process has allowed us to craft actionable solutions that support better outcomes for these students.”
With the theme “From Truancy to Triumph, From Absence to Opportunity,” the summit convened judges, educators, child welfare professionals, justice system stakeholders, school resource officers, and community advocates. Together, they worked on proactive strategies to reduce truancy and enhance student engagement.
Participants benefitted from a comprehensive agenda featuring expert-led panels, interactive breakout sessions, and real-world examples of successful interventions. Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry addressed attendees by recorded message. Opening remarks were delivered by
Louisiana Supreme Court Chief Justice John L. Weimer and Justice John Michael Guidry, along with Louisiana State Superintendent of Education Dr. Cade Brumley, BESE President Ronnie Morris and BESE Member Dr. Sharon Clark. Ret. Judge David Matlock, Caddo Juvenile Court, served as Master of Ceremonies, First Circuit Court of Appeal Judge Blair B. Edwards hosted the ceremony.
Featured speakers included Louisiana Supreme Court, Justice Piper D. Griffin, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeal Judge Timothy S. Marcel, Orleans Juvenile Court Judge Ranord J. Darensburg, East Baton Rouge Juvenile Court Judge Gail Grover along with several leaders from the education and child welfare sectors.
The one-day summit addressed a wide range of topics, including early interventions and proactive strategies for addressing absenteeism, best practices for collaborative approaches, the informal Families in Need of Services (FINS) process, navigating the truancy adjudication process, supporting students as they return to school, and strengthening the role of children and youth planning boards.
For more information visit lasc.org or contact Louisiana Supreme Court Deputy Judicial Administrator-Community Relations, Trina S. Vincent at tvincent@lasc.org