Calling on the Joint Committees on Finance and Education to Hold Hearings on the High Incidence of Truancy among Students in the School District of Philadelphia.

WHEREAS, The School District of Philadelphia reported that during the 2005-2006 school year, more than 80,000 student age 14 years or older, had eight or more unexcused absences; and

WHEREAS,Ttruancy has been identified as a leading precursor to dropping out of school; and

WHEREAS, Recent studies indicate that as many as forty-five percent of Philadelphia School District students overall and fifty-five percent of minority students drop out; and

WHEREAS, A new citywide campaign called Project U-Turn has been launched by the Philadelphia Youth Transitions Collaborative to reduce dropout rates through the cooperative efforts of business, government and social service agencies; and

WHEREAS, Parents and guardians are required by state law to make sure their children attend school everyday and can be fined or jailed for failing to do so; and

WHEREAS, Mayor Street, working with District CEO Paul Vallas and Family Court Judge Kevin Dougherty, has sent 6,200 letters to parents of children with eight or more unexcused absences ordering them to report to a meeting regarding their obligation to send their children to school; and

WHEREAS, The letter informed the parents that failure to attend the meeting and continued truancy could lead to fines and/or imprisonment; and

WHEREAS, The issue of truancy is of considerable public interest to all Philadelphians and not just parents with school-age children; now therefore

RESOLVED, THAT THE PHILADELPHIA CITY COUNCIL, Calls on the Joint Committees on Finance and Education to Hold Hearings on the High Incidence of Truancy among Students in the School District of Philadelphia.

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