Educators and representatives from the judicial system are meeting Friday, Nov. 30 to discuss ways to combat truancy problems at local schools.

Central High School Principal Mike Talley, who will speak at the meeting, said he will discuss a new program that Central will implement next year called Best Behavior.

He said it is about creating a positive environment in the school and fighting truancies by providing incentives for good attendance and changing current rules. School officials will begin training this year, and it will be implemented by next year.

Students are truant for many reasons, he said, including social and economic issues, substance abuse in the home, parents who are not educated themselves and don't see education as a priority, and siblings staying home to watch other siblings.

"Transportation is the No. 1 problem," Talley said. "We can't control those factors, but we can make things better in this environment. We can get parents involved and make them want to send their kids to us."

Friday's event, the Sixth Annual Judiciary/Education Collaboration Meeting, is hosted by the Pennington County Juvenile Diversion Program.

People from the Diversion Truancy Program, Rapid City Area Schools, 7th Judicial Circuit Court, South Dakota Tribal Courts, the South Dakota Department of Education, schools on reservations and ACT (Abolish Chronic Truancy) NOW Rapid City will present their focus for a unified policy and procedure to combat truancy.

Talley said educators and the judicial system have been working hand in hand in recent years to decrease truancy numbers.

Truancy is considered any intentional unauthorized absence from compulsory schooling.

Currently, schools send out truancy referrals to the local judicial system, and in some cases, students end up going to a truancy court hearing, placing them in the hands of the judicial system. But Talley said the school, parents, students and the community also must be a part of the process.

Pratt Anspach, truancy coordinator for the Juvenile Diversion program, said that is what the meeting is about.

"We're in the process of coming up with a proactive approach for the betterment of students and the community," she said.

One of the main concerns right now, she said, is an upcoming change in law. Right now a student can drop out of school at age 16. By 2009, it will be 18.

"We're trying to decide in what direction we want to take this," she said. "We want to hold parents and students accountable for getting to school. The question is how, and what the process is for holding those accountable, and how to get the community involved."

If you go

What: Sixth Annual Judiciary/Education Collaboration Meeting

When: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 30

Where: City/School Administration Center, 300 Sixth Street, Rapid City

Contact Kayla Gahagan at 394-8410 or kayla.gahagan@rapidcityjournal.com