The District of Columbia State Board of Education (DCSBOE) received testimony on the proposed Truancy Resolutions on Wednesday, October 1, 2008. The DCSBOE hosted two panels of members of the public. Representatives from outreach programs, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the Superintendent of Education all weighed in on the subject. The testimonials discussed current issues the public faces with rising rates of truant youth within the District.

Constituents who provided testimony stated that there were between 6,000 and 8,000 truant youth annually in the District. Discussion was also held on the monetary incentive programs recently begun to encourage attendance. Key recommendations made were to ensure youth involvement in the solution via peer-to-peer mentoring and student pledges. At the center of approaching youth is using language students understand. Peer pressure and parental involvement were discussed and the outcomes from this pressure can be either positive or negative based on the delivery.

Board Member Lockridge stated that “if we want to see improvements in our schools we need to make sure kids are getting to school.”