GGUSD Taking Aim at Truant Students

By Brittany Hanson
Garden Grove Journal

A short Garden Grove Unified School District board meeting on Tuesday touched on topics related to the at-risk student population. One issue was special review summer programming, while the other was a contribution to a truancy prevention program.

The summer review program is designed to take at risk students mainly from elementary schools and provide extra attention to them to make sure they are ready for the new school year. This includes a review of what they learned the year before and a preparation for what they will be learning in the next grade.

"This is not a babysitting service," said Linda Reed, a board member. "This is an academic opportunity to review and preview."

According to Reed, the school site counselors work with teachers to select the at risk students. The funds for the program come from the school sites themselves.

Although the program is aimed at elementary school children, there are also students from intermediate and high school that participate.

Also, the school board approved $70,000 to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Garden Grove to help them provide services for the Truancy Reduction Center (TRC) and Family & Youth Outreach Program (FYOP).

The Garden Grove Police Department and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Garden Grove have worked in collaboration since 1994 with the Truancy Reduction Center and the Family & Youth Outreach Program.

The TRC is operated out of Hare Continuation High School and served 599 students in the 2007-08 school year. Approximately 1,265 students and their families where referred to the FYOP during that time as well.

"We get a tremendous amount of services, being a part of that collaborative and I think it is wonderful that we are able to continue that collaboration," said Reed.

According to Superintendent Laura Schwalm the school district also provides facility rooms for the programs.

"The outreach program is invaluable in those efforts," said Schwalm. "It's a wonderful resource because it's very close, they do an outstanding job."