LA CROSSE, Wis. (AP) — La Crosse middle school staff members have come to the aid of a truant teenage boy being bullied over hygiene.
School staffers met with the 14-year-old young man's mother to discuss the student missing over 20 of days of school this semester, according to the La Crosse Tribune .
His mother confirmed she did not have the funds necessary to wash clothes.
A group of La Crosse staff members decided to make arrangements for her to be taken to the laundromat. They also extended the school's food pantry and clothes closet to the family.
""We'll do whatever we can do to help kids be successful. As far as school nurses, counselors and truancy, if there are medical reasons or anything else, we do try," a La Crosse school nurse said, noting that she was speaking in general terms to protect the boy's privacy. "We put plans into place if something is out of their control."
The nurse said that while the police officer was still required to record the absenteeism, the meeting may ease the student's weight of being teased.
Schools throughout the La Crosse School District have comparable strategies in place.
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Information from: La Crosse Tribune, http://www.lacrossetribune.com
