Chalkbeat | Advocates says struggling students need more intensive support.

Having a liaison, however, may not be enough to address the needs of some students struggling with school refusal, some experts and advocates say.

Maleeha Chida, an attorney who is an Equal Justice Works Fellow at Advocates for Children, said the city should continue to explore additional avenues to help students, such as creating flexible school schedules, connecting them to mental health providers, and hiring trained behavioral specialists to coordinate plans to gradually re-reintroduce students to the classroom.

“Students who are facing school avoidance require significant supports and interventions to be able to return to school, and much more will be needed to address the needs of this student population,” Chida wrote in an email.