October 3, 2001

Program cuts down on skipping school

Truancy Intervention benefited more than 200 area students last year

By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
       Kids skipping school in area schools are now a community problem that warrants community resources to provide help, thanks to the Truancy Intervention Program.
      A multi-school, multi-agency approach instituted at the beginning of the last school year, the program is aimed at students in Traverse City Area Public Schools, Kingsley Area Schools, Trinity Lutheran School and St. Mary's of Hannah in Kingsley.
      Students younger than 16, who pile up too many unexcused absences, may be referred to the program at their principal's discretion. Other times, a human services agency, community member or even a parent will call with a referral.
      From there, each case is looked at on an individual basis to determine why the student is not attending school regularly and how to fix it.
      "We're not looking for a quick fix," said Patricia LaBelle, truancy intervention coordinator who developed the program. "Some times truancy is a symptom of a larger problem and this program is a real cooperative effort between schools, police, prosecutor's office, the courts and prevention services."
      Transportation or housing problems, health issues, peer pressure, abuse or neglect and separation or divorce can all contribute to truancy. Instead of having these, kids fall through the cracks, or move from school to school without getting help. The Truancy Intervention Program aims to address the cause of the problem.
      During the previous school year, this multi-faceted approach worked well for the 61 students referred to the program for at least one offense. After referral, 80 percent of the students improved their attendance, going from a total of 292 absences beforehand to 54 total after. In addition, in-school contacts with police during school hours dropped for these students from 42 to 4. Only four of the 61 students went on to a third offense.
      In addition, the Truancy Intervention Program helped another 200 students with other issues, such as transportation or housing.
      "This is not just that we want to get the student in the classroom but we want the student to succeed," LaBelle said. "This program is more than just drag you off the streets, take you to court and lock you up."
      Responding to a concern from Traverse City Police Chief Ralph Soffredine, LaBelle began researching a truancy program 18 months ago. She called around the country to learn about other programs' successes and failures. LaBelle also reached out to a variety of community agencies and found willing interest to help.
      Funding for the program came from the Governor's Discretionary grant through October 1 of this year; the program is now funded by a Byrnes Memorial grant.
      Dr. Cal Schmucker, principal of Trinity Lutheran School, finds this money well spent.
      "I think when you look at what it has accomplished, there was a necessity for it," he said. "Even if you have just a few students who are truant and missing out on your educational program, it is a problem."
      "We can't do anything for them unless they are at school."
      Schmucker spent last year as the 8th grade principal at West Junior High before moving over to Trinity Lutheran this year. He saw firsthand how a myriad of family and social issues could combine to prompt a student into skipping school regularly. Helping LaBelle get the Truancy Intervention Program up and running last year, Schmucker believes the multi-agency approach is the key to the program's success.
      "I think it can be a real model for the state to look at," he said. "When you look at the types of things the program addresses and the types of agencies involved, from schools to police to the prosecutor's office to the FIA, there is a whole group of people working together to keep kids in school."
      The Truancy Intervention Program is sponsoring an essay contest through October 8 on the topic: why is it important to go to school every day. Locally, students in grades 4-9 in the Traverse City Area Public Schools, TBA-ISD, and Trinity Lutheran School can enter an essay of 200-400 words. For more information, call Patricia LaBelle at 995-0255.