Editorial: Sacramento community attendance centers reduce truancy, crime - Sacramento Opinion - Sacramento Editorial Sacramento Bee:
"When kids skip school, it costs the larger community. The students themselves miss out on learning opportunities and are more likely to drop out, reducing their chances of good jobs later in life.
School districts lose money, which is based on per-student average daily attendance. Neighborhoods lose out with higher crime rates, as kids wandering the streets end up in gangs or on drugs. Local and state budgets suffer as many of these kids end up in jail or prison.
But communities do not have to accept truancy without a fight. Sacramento Area Congregations Together, a community-based organization, has shown that turnaround is possible."
"When kids skip school, it costs the larger community. The students themselves miss out on learning opportunities and are more likely to drop out, reducing their chances of good jobs later in life.
School districts lose money, which is based on per-student average daily attendance. Neighborhoods lose out with higher crime rates, as kids wandering the streets end up in gangs or on drugs. Local and state budgets suffer as many of these kids end up in jail or prison.
But communities do not have to accept truancy without a fight. Sacramento Area Congregations Together, a community-based organization, has shown that turnaround is possible."