Attendance Office
Staff
Ms. Mae Chandler, Clerk
Attendance Office
Ms. Carmen Kendall, Clerk
Attendance Office
Mission Statement for Attendance Department The Attendance Center is a program that was established to combat absenteeism and truancy among school-age youth who reside in the city of Camden. The goals of the program are:
The Camden City Public School District’s Truancy Center is located at the old Catto School Building, 2930 Saunders Street, Camden, New Jersey. There are 20 attendance officers who conduct a continuous sweep of the city of Camden during school hours. Camden Board of Education Attendance officers, as well as the Camden City Police, Pennsauken Police and the surrounding community police officers aid in the apprehension of these youths. One intake officer, one clerk and the Chief Truancy Officer are present in the Center to facilitate the intake process. After intake is completed, the student is returned by the officers to their assigned schools. If a student is picked up on the first offense, the family is issued a verbal warning, on the second offense he/she is issued a summons to appear in court. The Camden Police can issue a summons at any time. Throughout our constant contact with truant youth, we have learned they are not on the streets just to "have fun and play hooky." Many of these youth have overwhelming social and/or economic problems. The scope of their problems is difficult to perceive until you are confronted with them on a daily basis. Due to the complexity of the problems of many of these truant youth, five-phase program intervention, referral and follow-up stages are facilitated by a certified social worker who will identify other services that should be utilized to meet the needs of each student. Once a truant child is brought in to the Center, the school is notified. If it is determined that the child is a first-time truant with no serious problems, after notification to the parent by the Truancy Center and the school, the student is returned to school. If the Truancy Center is unable to notify the parents of the first timer, the school then contacts the parents by letter. If it is determined that the child has an attendance problem and/or other problems, the parent/guardian must come to the Center for a Parent-Truant Student Conference. Often during the conference the parent/guardian of the child may reveal problems with which they need help. At this time, they are referred to the school social worker who will link the family with an appropriate social agency, if needed. Their first appointment with the agency is made before the conference is terminated. If during the screening process it is determined that the child has been subjected to any form of abuse or neglect, the Division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS) is notified and the child is released to DYFS. If the parent of a marginal or severely truant child does not come to the school for a conference, a warning letter is sent to the parent stating the legal ramification of their lack of cooperation in the truancy of the child. Additionally, when it is determined that all community resources have been attempted and the child continues to be absent from school, an affidavit documenting all efforts is presented to the Family Division of Superior Court and, if necessary, court procedures are initiated. The Camden City School District has recognized the scope of the problems that many of their students must deal with on a daily basis. As a result, crisis intervention teams have been placed in all of the schools in the City of Camden. These crisis teams enhance the effectiveness of the Truancy Center. Now all truant youth who are found to have any problems are referred to their respective crisis team as well as the community and school district's social services agencies. This added component within the school has made it possible for troubled youth to be in contact with supportive persons within their respective school on a day to day basis. Daytime Curfew is the Law Title 18A: 38-31 Violations of article by parents or guardians; penalties. Any child between the ages of at 6 and under 21 who is out of school during regular school hours is subject to be picked up by the police and/or the school district’s Truancy Patrol, unless he/she is accompanied by a parent/guardian. For additional information, call the Camden Police Department at (856) 757-7370.  Toque de Queda Durante las Horas de Dia es la Ley Cualquier niño entre 6 o menos de 18 anos de edad que no este en la escuela durante las horas regulares de escuela, puede ser recogido por la policia o la Patrulla del distrito escolar encargada de los niños que faltan a la escuela. A menos que el o ella este acompañado por su padre, madre o guardián. Para la información adicional, llame a policía de Camden departamento en (856) 757-7370. Camden Board of Education Truancy Department Does Not Do the following:
Mission Statement for Attendance Department The mission of the Camden City Public Schools' Attendance Department is to help accomplish the goal of education our diverse student population by ensuring that every Camden City Public School Student is in school 91.5 % of the time. Our district has an attendance policy that will help the parents, our schools, and our community to keep students in school and learning. Services of the Attendance Office to Maintain Attendance Percentile The Camden City Public School District's Attendance Department is located in the Camden High School Vocational Complex, 2700 Park Boulevard, Camden, New Jersey and is comprised of 18 attendance officers. The primary duties of the officers are designed to aid the district in maintaining a high attendance percentile. Attendance officers investigate students absent in assigned schools on a daily basis by servicing student absence slips from the schools. The officers are required to keep daily and weekly reports on student absences and check on the absences from their assigned schools. Parents and guardians are notified of conferences as requested by school officials regarding attendance related problems. Home visits of excessively absent students are conducted and the officers report their findings to the supervising chief attendance officer and the school. Parents who are not in compliance with state law 18 A:38-25 are taken to court. Officers will check on student transfers within the district and out of the district to make certain that the students have reported to their receiving schools. They will also investigate a student's change of address and use every resource available to locate these students. The supervising chief attendance officer is notified of those students who have officially left school or have legally dropped out of school. The Camden Police Depatrment is called upon for assistance in unusually difficult circumstances. Any suspected violations of the state's child labor laws or child welfare laws are reported. Attendance officers will patrol the city streets during school hours and pick up children of compulsory school age and take them to the truancy center for processing and return them to their respective schools before the end of the school day. They will assist school administrators with attendance/curfew problems. In accordance with board policy, the officers will also take out-of district children of compulsory school age to the truancy center for processing. |
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