Hot-Line Program Deals With Truancy

One high school student was homeless. Another worked every day so that he could help support his family. Another was afraid to attend school because he thought that he was the target of a gang.

The reasons for chronic truancy in every grade level of school are often too complex to solve with a simple phone call home by a principal or counselor.

In an ongoing effort to increase the districtwide attendance rate, the Los Angeles Unified School District has launched a toll-free hot-line number, hoping to identify and address the causes of truancy with home visits from school counselors. Neighbors, relatives, friends or any concerned member of the community can call the hot line 24 hours a day to report that a school-age child is not attending class.

The service is operated by a bilingual counselor who takes information from anonymous callers, then schedules a home visit from one of more than 125 counselors in schools all over the district. Cheryl Fayson, one of the counselors who works in the district Pupil Services and Attendance Office that runs the program, called the hot line a “dream come true.”

“I think it’s going to be very effective because we are collecting all the data in one place and finding out what kinds of problems these kids have. Some of them don’t even have phones at home.”

Paid for with $41,000 in federal funds, the hot line received 109 calls from throughout the district in its first month of operation. It began in mid-September, according to Fayson. About 32 of the truant children reported to the hot line were not even enrolled in school, she said.

Sandy Weil, assistant principal in charge of attendance at Sylmar High School, said she believes that the hot line will enhance the school’s effort to keep students in class.

“I am so thrilled about this,” Weil said. “Sometimes we try to call the parents at work and there are no numbers or they have moved. This way, we can have someone to visit the students at home.”

The hot line is staffed by one person from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, but Fayson said the office is seeking $360,000 to fund six more staff members to make home visits. Truancy “tipsters” can leave a recorded message 24 hours a day.

The number is 1-(800) 865-2873.