Triumph over truancy

In 2001, Dave Torres, attendance supervisor for Saratoga Springs City School District, initiated a program to help get truant students back in school. After reading an article about a program in Los Angeles that involved the school districts and the district attorney's office, Torres felt a similar program would be useful in Saratoga Springs.

"As everyone should know, a failed school experience for a student often leads them to future delinquency. If a student doesn't have at least a high school diploma or equivalency, it becomes harder for them to get a job which could lead to a life of crime," Torres said. "Everything works in a big circle, and having an education relates to so many different things."

The program hits home when a student reaches 10 unexcused absences with a letter from the school district informing the parents of the absences. If the student reaches 15 absences, another letter is sent home as well as to District Attorney Jim Murphy's office. If the pattern continues and the student reaches 20 absences, the DA sends the next letter explaining that the family needs to meet with the school district, the DA's office and any other outside organizations that may be involved such as child protective services or the office of probation. If this meeting fails to get the child back in school, the very last resort is an arrest of the parent for endangering the welfare of a child.

"The number one concern is to get the children back to school. In most cases, the first or second letter corrects the problem," Torres said.

Since the program began, there has only been one case that ended in arrest and there is currently another case pending. Overall, there have been six meetings with the Saratoga Springs City School District, the DA's office and a family.

This past year, the DA's office created a part-time position of Truancy Prevention Coordinator, which is currently held by Skidmore College Graduate Michael Elmo. Another six school districts joined the program this year, making this program a county-wide initiative. Down the road, Torres said he hopes to make this a state-wide program.

According to Elmo, the reasons why students miss school are completely across the board.
"Some reasons are simple. The kid may not be able to see the board and need glasses, making him not want to go to school. Some kids are afraid of bullies. Other problems are much more serious though, which is why it is so important for the county and the schools to take these extra steps," he said. "In most cases the parents don't even know that their child is missing school. In others, the parents don't care, which is when we need to take serious action.

When the school district and the DA's office meet with the student and the parent, it is usually easy to find a way to get the student back in school even if it means finding alternative means of education such as BOCES.

"This has been so successful. Once the kids become a part of our program the problem is usually solved and leads to a successful school experience," Elmo added. "I'd say that 11 of 12 intervention attempts produce the desired results. The schools, families and our office have done a great job working together. The bottom line is getting parents to take a more active role in their child's education. We've been seeing that this program helps."