Aiken County families will now have more support than ever in the fight against truancy thanks to a multi-agency effort dedicated to keeping students in classrooms and out of the legal system.
The Aiken County Public School District, working alongside Solicitor J. Strom Thurmond, Jr. and the Aiken County Solicitor’s Office, Aiken County Clerk of Court Robert Harte and the Clerk of Court’s Office, the Department of Juvenile Justice, the Public Defender’s Office, the Aiken Department of Public Safety and the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office, is pleased to announce a new Truancy Intervention Program (TIP) for the upcoming 2017-18 school year.
The program – fully supported by Aiken County Board of Education members during Tuesday’s regularly scheduled July meeting – will serve as an added preventative measure in the District’s continued effort to see that all Aiken County students remain in school.
"Our goal is to help families and students understand the importance of attending school. We do not have the desire to engage families in the court system due to truancy. I am thrilled that our Solicitor is a proactive advocate for children in Aiken County," stated Aiken County Superintendent Dr. Sean Alford.
Solicitor J. Strom Thurmond, Jr., says the program is designed to help break the cycle of truancy in Aiken County, leading to more high school graduates and fewer instances of incarceration.
“We are grateful to partner with Dr. Sean Alford and the Aiken County School District, the Department of Juvenile Justice, the Aiken County Clerk of Court, the Public Defender’s Office, Aiken Dept. of Public Safety and the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office in establishing a Truancy Intervention Program here in Aiken County,” commented Solicitor J. Strom Thurmond, Jr. “The domino effect beginning with truancy in students ages 12 to 16, and leading to increased high school dropout rates and contact with the criminal justice system has been well-established. This program seeks to break that cycle through early intervention and by identifying and correcting the causes of truancy. Our goal is to give every Aiken County student the opportunity to stay in school.”
School board support of the program successfully concludes a deliberate effort during the 2016-17 school year on the part of the District and its agency partners as members of the Aiken County Truancy Task Force to establish a program to battle truancy in Aiken County.
Students who agree to participate in the program will sign a contract stating their intention to be compliant, and to undergo certain conditions or prerequisites for a given time period. If the student cooperates and successfully complies with the attendance requirements going forward, they will be able to avoid an appearance in Family Court. These students will also be less likely to require a formal court appearance in the future or encounter the criminal justice system.
LINK TO DISTRICT PRESS RELEASE: 2017 PR TRUANCY INTERVENTION PROGRAM