HAWLEY – The Wallenpaupack School District has implemented a district-wide truancy reduction plan according to middle school Assistant Principal, Keith Gunuskey. He told the Pike County Commissioners that the district began looking for a way to reduce truancy when its attendance rate fell below other districts in Wayne and Pike Counties. He explained that the district found out that punitive measures alone were not solving truancy problems and they began looking for other ways to help solve the problems.

The district has developed a team approach to get a holistic view of the student with a truancy problem. The student, parents, school personnel, and relevant community agencies ( probation, children and youth, MH/MR, etc. ) all will sit down to discuss the problem and identify solutions to help the student have regular school attendance and success in school.                          
                 
The district ran a pilot program with 14 students whose attendance rate was 77.5%. After the completion of the pilot program, the attendance of those 14 students was 95.28%.

Gunuskey said that the district will involve the local magistrate to help with the program. He cited a case where a 15 year student came before the magistrate and was told that she would not be getting her driver’s license until she was 18 and could prove she was not constantly truant. Some students have had their licenses suspended for a period of time by the magistrate, also.

Gunuskey concluded by saying that the program is a success for their district.