Camden Declares War on Student Truancy

The City of Camden has a 47 percent high school drop out rate and on any given day, depending on the school, as many as 20 percent of the students may be absent or truant.

Camden School Superintendent Annette Knox unveiled a ten point attendance accountability plan on Wednesday which she hopes will reduce the dropout rate and increase attendance. The superintendent says that every school must have an attendance committee and plan, and must identify children who are at high risk of dropping out.

Improving attendance is the responsibility of the entire community says Knox, and that means police should be enforcing curfew laws that get school aged children off the streets during school hours. Her plan also calls for notifying parents in person, rather than by mail, that their children are cutting class.

School officials say parents are currently brought to court for their chronically absent children, but the plan calls for reducing the current backlog of cases. Superintendent Knox hopes to see at least a ten percent improvement in attendance by January.

Author: 6 ABC-AP