Truancy has become a major problem in our country today. It negatively influences the future of our youth and costs taxpayers thousands of dollars. With daily absentee rates as high as 30% in some cities, it is not surprising that truancy is rated among the major problems facing schools.
In California, a comparison was done between high school drug users who attended school vs. those who did not. Not surprisingly, those who did not attend school were more likely---67% vs 49%---to test positive for drug use.
Many police departments report that daytime crime rates are rising in part because students are committing crimes instead of going to class. They are vandalizing cars, shoplifting and scrawling graffiti on office buildings. Police in St.Paul, Minnesota reported that crimes such as purse snatching dropped by almost 50% after they cracked down on truancy.
Truancy is costly. It costs students an education, resulting in reduced earning capacity. It costs school districts hundreds of thousands of dollars each year in lost Federal and State funds that are based on daily attendance figures. It costs businesses that must pay to train uneducated workers. It costs taxpayers who must pay higher taxes for law enforcement and welfare costs for dropouts who end up on welfare rolls or unemployed.
There are a number of causes of truancy----including parental neglect, problems at home, keeping students at home to babysit for younger children, neighborhood problems, transportation difficulties.
The Greater Cincinnati Conflict Resolution Program is offering a truancy prevention program that works to decrease truancy in the early stages, by working with families, students and teachers to develop a willingness to be ready and interested in going to school, on time, and being ready to work. Through group and individual programs we strive to make a difference in school attendance habits, starting in elementary school and continuing through high school.
This is a problem that we all need to focus on, so that our kids are prepared for the future. If you are interested in learning more, please contact us at info@gccrp.org.
Janna Kessler
Team Lead
Truancy Prevention Program
GCCRP