WHEREAS, Truancy is at epidemic proportions in Philadelphia public schools, which report that in the 1998-1999 school year, over 44,000 Philadelphia school children were absent from school without an excuse 25 times or more; and
WHEREAS, An average of 13.6% of the total student population of the Philadelphia School District was absent on any given day in 2000-2001, with 50% of these students likely truant; and
WHEREAS, Department of Human Services programs are aimed at both truancy prevention and at working with families of children who are already seriously truant or who have dropped out; and
WHEREAS, Truancy prevention programs include the School Attendance Improvement Project which works with families of children in elementary and middle schools with 10 absences or more; the Truancy Public Awareness Campaign, a poster campaign and hotline; and the Faith-Based Initiative Pilot Project which involves prompt notification of parents and voluntary social service assistance, if needed; and
WHEREAS, Truancy court and other interventions include Truancy Court Social Services; Services to Children in their Own Homes (SCOH) and Intensive Services; and School –Linked Behavioral Health Services; and
WHEREAS, On November 1, 2001, the Police Department secured $60,000 in funding via the Local Law Enforcement Block Grant to continue its truancy program, which allows police officers to work additional hours, usually 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., to patrol for truants; and
WHEREAS, Truancy has been identified as a "risk factor" in many studies of delinquent children and of children manifesting a propensity for school failure and related problems; and
WHEREAS, All Philadelphia storeowners are in a position to play a key role in promoting prompt and consistent school attendance, and to support the City of Philadelphia's Truancy Prevention Program; now therefore
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That we urge Philadelphia County storeowners to support truancy prevention efforts by refusing to serve school-age children, weekdays, between the hours of 8:45 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
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