This is the first in a two-part series.
“Our Kids. Our Future.” is the first step in a community-wide collaboration with the St. Cloud Area School District, St. Cloud Police Department, Stearns County, Minnesota Judicial Branch and the City of St.Cloud.
It is an initiative that provides a forum for parents to discuss issues as well as equips them with proactive strategies.
Matt Enneking is a juvenile truancy prosecutor involved with the effort.
Enneking defines truancy as any student missing from school without a lawful excuse. (Minnesota state law mandates that a person between the ages of 7 and 18 must attend school every day.)
The largest concern for Enneking is that truancy is one of the key indicators that something has gone wrong in a student’s life. Some behavior signals may seem small, but could mean extreme danger.
There are behavioral warning signs to be aware of: social isolation, bullying, depression, low self-esteem and hopelessness about the future. These signs can lead to higher-risk behavior: pregnancy, substance use, failing at school and/or gang or criminal activity.
However, Enneking points out that when there is a student who is truant, the whole family is involved.
The first step in identifying truancy is school intervention. A student is considered truant after missing three days of school without an excuse. The parents are notified by Stearns County and meetings are set twice a month.
After school intervention, the second step is with the Department of Human Services which mediates a one-on-one with the family and the student. If there is no resolution, the next step is court intervention. If there is still lack of resolve, the last step is a more severe court intervention which could lead to placing the child in a different home.
“The goal is to keep families and children out of court and find why the child is missing school,” says Enneking.
Greg Boelter agrees. Boelters is a Juvenile Services Unit supervisor. His caseload consists of mostly 12 to 18-year-olds.
Boelter receives weekly reports from the local schools to monitor truancy. His goal is to keep kids out of juvenile probation (10 to 21-year-olds).
If a reported case of truancy is monitored for 90 days with successful attendance, the case is closed. If attendance is unsuccessful, Human Services works with the student and family to refer them to court.
Boelter reports the top reason for juvenile probation violation is chemical use, including: alcohol, marijuana, prescription drugs and synthetic drugs.
“People are misinformed that a prescription is safe because it comes from the doctor,” explains Boelter.
However, prescriptions like Adderall, Concerta, Ritalin, Valium, Xanax and even cough medicine are easily accessible and frequently abused.
Luckily, the St. Cloud Police Department reports that very few synthetic drugs are found in the area.
Statistics show that kids who are truant and have little/no education earn an annual salary of $23,000 to $29,000 as an adult. There are questions on job applications that require answers about graduation and criminal behavior that will always prevent them from higher achievement.
The good news is that there are things parents can do to be proactive. Boelter calls them the “Rs”: role model healthy lifestyles, relationship building, rein in activities/privileges, regularly communicate, repeat…repeat…repeat, reach out for support and rally around successes.
Watch for part two of the series regarding cyberbullying and social media.