Shreveport Student Misses 65 Days of School – Mom Now Facing Charges

Education leaders in Shreveport and Caddo Parish have gotten tough about truancy in an effort to keep students in the classroom.

And now police are stepping up to hold parents accountable if children skip too many days of school.

In this latest case, Shreveport Police have charged a local woman with improper supervision of her child. During the arrest of Shantanell Page, she allegedly resisted arrest and she was also charged with that. This is her second arrest for improper supervision in 2026.

Investigators say her 10-year-old child has missed more than 65 days of school in 2026.

How Big Is the Truancy Problem?

Truancy is a problem in schools all across Louisiana. These numbers have been high since the pandemic changed the game for schools in 2020.

KEEL News asked the state education leaders what constitutes truancy for a student.

Truancy: A student is considered truant once he or she receives five unexcused absences or five unexcused tardies in a semester.

READ MORE: Truancy Rates in local schools

A school truancy officer contacted Shreveport police last week about a child who had been habitually absent from school. Caddo school leaders say the parent failed to submit any documents or justification for the excessive absences.

Caddo Parish has an aggressive program in place to try to reach out to parents to solve the truancy problem. They made several attempts to help this family before contacting police.

This marks Page's second arrest for improper supervision of her child so far this year.

SPD will continue to work with school officials to make sure youngsters are in school and hold parents accountable when necessary.