An event kicking off a year-long campaign to curb truancy in Bucks County was held on Wednesday morning at the Bucks County Technical High School in Bristol Township.
The “Challenge 5” campaign, as it is called, brings attention to the growing epidemic of chronic absenteeism in the region. At its core, the challenge tasks students with missing no more than five days of classes during the school year.
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The campaign is being conducted by the Bucks County Attendance Awareness Committee, which is working with and being supported by school districts in the county, the Educational Sanctuary Foundation (ESF), the Truancy Reduction and Curfew for Kids or Track, the Bucks County Truancy Task Force and other community organizations.
Glenn Kaiser, the executive director of ESF, was the master of ceremonies at the Wednesday morning event. Scheduled to coincide with National Attendance Awareness month, the campaign stresses the importance of not missing school to parents and students alike.
“Communication is key,” Kaiser said, referencing the importance of getting the word out about the campaign and getting local districts and families on board.
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Speakers at the ceremony included District Judge Robert Wagner, President Judge Jeffrey Finley, Bensalem School District Superintendent Dr. Sam Lee, and other school district and campaign officials. Joining the speakers, about 300 high schoolers listened to the presentation of the new awareness campaign.
The campaign is broken into three different phases. During phase one, which kicked off on Wednesday, the importance of school attendance is stressed. The second year, phase two, focuses on reducing truancy and lateness. The third year will focus on instituting programs to reduce truancy and lateness, Kaiser explained.
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Nationwide, between 10 and 15 percent of students miss more than a month of school each year, Kaiser said, referencing a study by Ken Smyth-Lestico of the University of Pittsburgh. In Bucks County, only 8.2 percent of students miss more than 18 days each year, putting the county below the national average.
Halfway through the school year, the campaign will reinvigorate their efforts with another ceremony, similar to the one held on Wednesday in the upper end of the county.
“I think that they heard what we were talking about in regards to rewarding for good attendance,” Kaiser said, referencing the students at the ceremony.
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“We are trying to stay ahead of this and be proactive,” Kaiser said.
A large amount of truancy cases come to court, placing a burden on the court system, families and schools. The goal of the campaign is to encourage kids, not scare them and disrupt their lives, Kaiser said.
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Trying to make the issue more relatable for kids, speakers lightened the mood, telling light jokes and pushing home the connection between good attendance, good grades and gainful employment.
ESF was founded by Gerald Freedman, an entrepreneur who is working to give back to educational causes.
