Truant students swept off Lancaster streets by deputies
The high cost of being late for school
LANCASTER, Calif.—Our Weekly took an up-close-and-personal look at the quarterly truancy sweeps Antelope Valley High conducts in conjunction with the Sheriff’s department.
As soon as the bell rang at 7:15, Sheriff’s deputies closed the school gates and students lined up to be filtered into either the attendance office, if they had notes from a parent, or the cafeteria, where they might receive truancy citations.
A team led by Sgt. Carl Thomas stood at the school’s front gates alongside the campus security, pointing late-comers in the direction of the cafeteria filled with more than 100 students and staff.
Late students faced having to attend Saturday school and receiving a citation.
To avoid their sons and daughters having to attend Saturday school, getting a truancy citation or getting in any other trouble, parents sometimes told their teenagers to get back in the car, after they saw the brigade of officers.
According to the California Department of Education, first offenses typically warrant a $100 fine, second offenses a $250 fine, and third, $500.
“The goal is not to punish them but to help them be to school on time,” said Trish Lockhart, AVH principal. “In my regular announcements (to the parents), I let them know their students have to be on time.”
“The first week of school, as parents would drop off students, I would stand out there after the bell rang with a big sign that said, ‘You are late,’” she said, indicating that it is part of the culture of the campus to be mindful of the clock.
Thomas explained the truancy sweep team at Antelope Valley, Lancaster and Eastside high schools were instituted not only to keep kids off the streets and in schools, but to reduce crime in the area.
The U.S. Department of Justice reports that 56 percent of violent crimes committed by teens occur during school hours (7 a.m.-3 p.m.).
Some concern among parents arose about whether or not officers are discriminating in the issuance of citations, but Thomas said there is no room for discrimination. However, a large majority of the students who were late were ethnic minorities.
LANCASTER, Calif.—On Thursday, March 17, Antelope Valley High School conducted one of its quarterly truancy sweeps. As soon as the bell rang at 7:15, Sheriff’s deputies closed the school gates and students lined up to be filtered into either the attendance office, if they had notes from a parent, or the cafeteria, where they might receive truancy citations.
LOS ANGELES, Calif.—The Academic Performance Index score for Los Angeles Unified schools—summarizing students’ performance on a series of tests—rose by 19 points in 2010-11, besting the statewide average.
The district’s score went from 709 last year to 728. The statewide API score increased by 11 points, from 767 last year to 778, according to figures released today by the California Department of Education.
The scores range from 200 to 1,000, with a performance target of 800.
LOS ANGELES, Calif.—Los Angeles Unified School District 10th graders fared slightly better on the California High School Exit Exam than last year’s class, with 75 percent passing the math portion and the same percentage passing the English section, according to test results released today.
The scores were an improvement over last year’s 10th grade class, which had a 72 percent pass rate for the math section of the test, and 73 percent on the English section, according to the California Department of Education.
LANCASTER, Calif.—Antelope Valley High School recently underwent major changes, including the reassignment of 50 percent of its teachers. The school has been in hot water before, being declared a Tier II school. According to the California Department of Education, a Tier II institution is one that falls under certain criteria, including the tag as a low-achieving school based on testing or graduation rates.
LANCASTER, Calif.—Now that school is out and the summer is under way, some high school graduates are preparing to leave for the colleges of their dreams, spending their last days with family and friends before they hit the dorms. But Le’Shel Vines, a star runner, still does not know where she will be in the fall.
It’s not a bad thing, though. The young lady has college recruiters knocking at her door with offers she can hardly refuse. At this point, she is racking her brain trying to decide which full ride scholarship she’s going to take.
