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Onondaga County Executive Nicholas J.
Pirro and the Onondaga County Law Department are committed
to reducing truancy in Onondaga County. Truancy is a gateway
to crime. School attendance is the key to the success of our
children.
The County Truancy Reduction Initiative is a collaborative
effort with the Syracuse City School District, the Prevention
Network and New Justice Services.
Together we hope to combat truancy. Children will succeed.
Our community will be a better place to live.
Unexcused absence from school will lead
to court action against the child in Family Court. Truancy
can also result in the prosecution of the parent/guardian
in Family Court or Criminal Court.
Avoid Court by doing the following:
- Make sure your child
attends school every day, every class
- Cooperate with school
once notified of child’s attendance problems
- Attend meeting with
Deputy County Attorney, school staff and community based
organizations
- Participate in educational
programs through your school or community
- Participate in individual
or family counseling
- Make sure your child
gets any help he or she needs with school work
- Make education part
of your daily life
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• Attend every class, every day
• Be on time and be prepared
• Complete required schoolwork
• Ask for help when needed
• Attend a parent meeting and follow the recommendations
of the attendance contract
• Get your child to school every day
• Be sure your child has completed homework
• Monitor your child’s attendance and progress
in school
• Inform the school, in writing, when your child
may need to miss school for an acceptable reason
• Attend a parent meeting with your child and follow
the recommendations of the attendance contract. Contact
your school principal’s office if this attendance
contract is not being followed.
• Provide a schedule that meets child’s
needs
• Address barriers to learning
• Work with parents to get kids to school
• Maintain accurate attendance records
• Sickness (a written note is required from the
parent and written verification from a doctor or nurse
may also be required.)
• Doctor’s visit including mental health
• Religious holiday
• Extreme family emergency
• Staying home to baby-sit
• Work
• Being tired
• Overslept
• Shopping
• Travel
• Needed at home
• Cold weather
• Missed the bus
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Every child in Onondaga County has the right
to a good education, a cornerstone to a long, happy and
successful life. Parents and guardians owe their children
the help and support needed to achieve this goal.
The first step is to make sure that each child attends school
each and every day. School attendance ensures that the child
is prepared for all of the positive opportunities that life
offers. A child in school every day is well on the way to
becoming a credit to self, family and our community.
Unfortunately, some children will not go to school each
day and some parents do nothing to enforce attendance. Truancy
robs children of valuable life opportunities and often results
in criminal behavior, arrest and confinement.
For this reason, we have set up a program to help our children
get to school each day. The program requires children, parents
and guardians to participate and be held accountable for
school attendance. The name of the program is REAP because
together parents and children will Realize Education Attendance
Priorities and REAP the benefits of education. Children
will succeed, and our community will be a better place to
live.
Nicholas J. Pirro,
Onondaga County Executive
Anthony P. Rivizzigno
Onondaga County Attorney
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