TRUANCY MEDIATION

MISSION: The overall mission of truancy mediation is to reduce the frequency of absenteeism and truancy in schools by creating a partnership with truant student, their parent(s) and the school and to avoid the necessity of parents appearing in municipal court with the potential of paying a fine as a means of resolving truancy.

PROGRAM GOALS

• Identify possible signs that indicate the potential for truancy
• Collectively address these issues and create a personal plan to correct matters that cause truancy
• Follow up with students, parent/ guardians, and the school to ensure that proper steps are being taken to prevent the student from being truant
• Stress the importance of school and help integrate the student back into school with a positive outlook

The Atlantic City Municipal Court, Atlantic City Public Schools' Truancy Office, and Community Mediation Services provide truancy mediation as an alternative to a court appearance in order to address the needs of chronic absenteeism and truancy.

Truancy Mediation is a process in which the student and his or her parent and/or guardian meet with a mediator and the lead attendance or truancy officer in a private setting at the Public Safety Building. The purpose of the mediation is to review and confirm the student's attendance status and determine what can be done to resolve matters that prevent the student from attending school and/or arriving to school on time.

Signing an agreement at mediation stating what action will be taken to eliminate the truancy problem will prevent the matter from going before a municipal court judge. However, if a student continues to have a truancy problem, the matter will be listed before a judge and fines may be imposed.

MEDIATORS are not judges and cannot impose fines. They may offer suggestions that may be useful in dealing with truancy. The mediators are volunteers who have had at least 40 hours of basic mediation training including truancy issues.

TRUANCY OFFICERS are school officials assigned to schools and are responsible for monitoring school attendance and counseling students regarding absenteeism and tardiness.