Federal prosecutors launch special grand jury probe into DC public schools attendance records
Federal prosecutors have opened a rare special grand jury investigation into D.C. public schools, examining truancy, graduation rates and attendance documentation. The probe comes amid U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro's efforts to link school absenteeism to youth crime in the nation's capital.
Federal prosecutors have launched a rare special grand jury investigation into D.C. public schools, focusing on truancy, graduation rates and how attendance is documented across the district. The probe, first reported by The Washington Post, is examining the supervision and oversight of young people in the nation's capital, according to people familiar with the matter.
A law enforcement official described the investigation as being about "safeguarding youth in the District." Teachers and other personnel at several D.C. Public Schools campuses have been contacted in recent days about student absences, graduation practices and attendance record-keeping. At least one person has already testified before the panel, with others expected to appear in the coming days.
The use of a special grand jury is unusual. A judge must approve the creation of such a panel, which can conduct a sweeping investigation and issue a detailed report on its findings even if prosecutors ultimately file no criminal charges. A spokesperson for U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro's office said it could neither confirm nor deny the investigation.
Senior prosecutor Steven Vandervelden, one of Pirro's top allies in the U.S. attorney's office, is overseeing the inquiry. Pirro has repeatedly linked school truancy to youth crime and disruptive teen gatherings in the District. At a May news conference, she said authorities could take action when teens repeatedly break curfew or skip school.
"We're coming for you, and we're coming for your parents," Pirro said at the time. She also said her office wanted school records involving students accused of chronic truancy and curfew violations. The Washington Post reported that the city did not voluntarily turn over those records.
The office of D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said its focus remains on the new school year. "Our focus remains on welcoming students and families back for a strong start to the new school year, and that is what we want our principals and teachers focused on as well," the mayor's office told the Washington Post. "We make all school data public and will continue to do so."
The new probe comes years after D.C. schools were rocked by a graduation scandal centered on Ballou High School. A 2018 city investigation found the school had awarded diplomas to students who failed to satisfy attendance rules or had improperly completed makeup coursework. The scandal eventually spread to several D.C. high schools, with investigators finding that about one-third of D.C. students who graduated in 2017 had not actually met the requirements for a diploma.
District officials later said they tightened enforcement of attendance standards, but absenteeism has persisted. During the 2023-24 school year, nearly 16,000 D.C. Public Schools students — roughly one-third of K-12 enrollment — were considered truant after missing at least two weeks of classes without an excuse, according to The Washington Post.
The special grand jury's work is unfolding as D.C.'s school system, which serves more than 50,000 students, begins a new academic year. The Office of the State Superintendent of Education has not commented on the investigation.
