To get a handle on truant students in San Benito County, the
District Attorney’s office is developing a truancy program that’s
expected to be ready in a couple of weeks.
A study by the U.S. Department of Education in cooperation with the Department of Justice reported that truancy is a gateway to crime and is linked to a high daytime burglary and vandalism rate.
To get a handle on truant students in San Benito County, the District Attorney’s office is developing a truancy program that’s expected to be ready in a couple of weeks.
“We have a few things to get ready before we can implement the program,” said District Attorney John Sarsfield. “Truancy enforcement is getting to be universal across the state. Our surrounding counties have one and I feel parents in San Benito County deserve to have one as well.”
The State of California requires parents to educate their children whether they choose public or private schools or home schooling.
“Parents have a range of options,” Sarsfield said. “The law says you will provide the education.”
However, through school channels it was discovered that there are children who are not being educated. During the 2001-02 school year there were 41 referrals brought to the School Attendance Review Board. So far this year there have been 11, which were handled with intervention.
“Our goal is to get to them before they get to (the review board),” said Tim Foley, San Benito County superintendent of schools.
Sarsfield said the mediation program sits in lieu of school boards.
“The idea is to have an edge to fix the problem, find a way to resolve the issues and get the child back into the education system,” he said. “If it does not fix the problem, then our office will take action to enforce it.”
Foley said students may be truant because of a variety of family problems. Some students have to stay home and babysit younger siblings because the parents have to work, he said.
“In some families they encourage going to work, where school and education is not a priority,” Foley said.
The truancy program is geared at resolving issues through mediation between the parents, the students along with representatives from the school and other agencies.
“We’re not looking towards prosecution, but we want to point the families to the resources they might need if that child is out of control,” Sarsfield said. “Then we can assist parents by applying the appropriate measure. If the parents are not cooperative, then our office will be committed to back up the school and go to court if necessary.”
School districts are not looking for villains, Foley said, just solutions.
“We’re working hard to provide intervention before we have to bring in the big and heavier guns,” he said. “This is not being done as punishment at all, but it is a very serious effort to assist the families in our community.”
