Board sees huge success in halting truancy

February 24, 2010

Belen Consolidated Schools has shown substantial success in reducing its truancy rates, according to a three-year report released yesterday by the district.

“I am pleased to report, after reviewing three years of data, that initiatives and interventions recommended by the truancy committee have come to fruition, and the ultimate goal of reducing truancy and habitual truancy to improve academic achievement has been realized,” said Richard R. Romero, a district student support programs liaison.

The report says the total number of days students are absent has declined by more than 5,000, or nearly 29 percent.

The district has 280 fewer truant students (between five and nine unexcused absences), which translates to 43 percent fewer truant students. The district also has 178 fewer habitually truant students (10 or more unexcused absences).

“There was a 70 percent reduction in habitually truant students. That’s a huge number,” Romero said.

Among total absentees, the district has reduced the number of unexcused absentee days by more than 6,000, a nearly 65-percent drop.

The biggest declines in unexcused absences, truancy and habitual truancy were at H.T. Jaramillo Community School.

Board Member Julian Luna said the measures don’t just reduce truancy but also reduce drop-out rates.

Board President Jamie Goldberg said higher school attendance not only makes kids more productive members of society but also increases the amount of funding the district receives.

The district has been aggressively targeted truancy since 2006, with a committee implementing anti-truancy measures. Three employees devote their time to getting children to attend school.

The primary approach of the district’s anti-truancy program is follow-up — contacting the families of truant students to find out the circumstances keeping the student from school.

“We get a hold of parents, find out why their kids aren’t in school and get them there,” Romero said.

One tactic is having the truancy officers visit the homes of students who haven’t been attending school.

“We’re going into these homes, going into their environments, to see what kind of environment they have, including the family,” said Board Member Dolores Quintana.

Another more aggressive tactic involves sending school resource officers to the homes of Belen Middle School students to “get kids out of bed and take them to school.”

Quintana said the measures also involve giving students reasons why they should attend school. The district is trying to instill work ethic in students.

Despite the reductions, Romero said the district still has a lot of work to do.

“Although there have been significant improvements, truancy and habitual truancy remain a serious barrier to learning for many of our children,” he said.

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