Tuesday, March 25, 2003 | 10:50 a.m.
Instead of having to explain his poor attendance record to his sixth grade teacher at Mario C. and JoAnne Monaco Middle School, 11-year-old Joe had to tell it to the judge.
Fortunately for Joe, whose name has been changed for this story, he had cleaned up his act before he met with Family Court Judge Arthur Ritchie, and Ritchie was pleased with the boy's progress.
"When I read your report this morning, I was sure there was some mistake," the judge said one recent morning before an auditorium of eight students and their parents. "But there's no absences at all for three whole weeks. That's terrific."
Joe, who is a member of the school band, said his shaky attendance record was due to poor grades in subjects such as math. Now he is getting a tutor.
"It was a little scary," Joe said after the meeting. "At first I thought I was in trouble. Now I know if I'm doing bad in school, I just need help."
Joe is one of dozens of students expected to benefit from the Truancy Diversion Program, a joint effort among District Court's Family Division, the Clark County School District and Nevada Parents Encouraging Parents.
Launched in February, the program was created to give Clark County middle school students with a history of ditching school a jump start on cleaning up their attendance record before becoming part of Clark County's juvenile justice system. Students are referred to the program by school counselors and deans.
Court officials hope the program will function as a proactive component to Truancy Court, a punitive program that currently operates in conjunction with the Clark County School District.
The district mandates that students with more than three unexcused absences can be cited by school police. Those students must appear before a judge, who can fine them or order community service.
Because truancy in Nevada is considered a status offense, or an offense that only relates to minors, it is not a crime.
As a result it's difficult to deal with truancy-related problems before they get out of control, said Family Court Judge Gerald Hardcastle, who created the program.
Hardcastle said he hopes the diversion program will reach students before they land in Truancy Court.
"This is a community problem," he said. "At some point the community, the courts and everyone bear some responsibility to keep these kids in school."
Unlike Truancy Court, students in the Truancy Diversion Program appear before Ritchie in a mock court session each week before school to discuss attendance and other academic problems.
Ritchie, who deals with custody battles and paternity suits in Family Court, wears his robes during sessions but wields only his moral authority.
"We want it to be formal, but the program is not to pressure," he said. "These kids probably think no one cares about them. The message is that we're not leaving these kids behind."
Deputy Attorney General Katherine Holt and private attorney Ron Cordes also act as mock judges and UNLV social work students volunteer to provide administrative support.
PEP advocates meet with students and parents at their homes to discuss issues in the home and parents are encouraged to attend the sessions with their children.
The emphasis on the entire family is what separates the truancy diversion program from other programs in Clark County, said LaDeana Gamble, manager of the court's Family Mediation Center.
Many families have personal or financial problems that prevent children from attending school, she said.
"We're looking to provide support for the entire family on the front end," she said. "We're basically cheerleading them and trying to show them the benefits of getting an education."
Program officials have their work cut out for them. Some students averaged three to four absences per week before enrolling in the program, he said.
"Truancy is the first indication of real trouble," Hardcastle said. "Keeping kids in school increases their chance of success."
Court officials say the pilot program has gotten off to a strong start, with about 25 students enrolled in the programs at Monaco, Francis Cortney, Mike O'Callaghan and Jim Bridger middle schools.
An additional eight students are expected to join Monaco's program this week, Gamble said, and officials hope to have 100 students enrolled by the end of the school year.
Funding for the program for the academic year came from Family Court, Children's Advocacy Alliance, a nonprofit group and the Clark County School District, he said.
Hardcastle said he hopes the program will show that the participating schools are committed to helping its students.
"These are tough schools with tough problems," he said. "But the people at these schools are dedicated and work hard. Now we've got to get the kids involved."
Joe's mother, who came to the program on her day off, said she hopes the program will encourage her son to ask for the help he needs instead of ditching school.
"I want him to do well," she said, speaking through a Spanish interpreter. "That means I have to do whatever I have to do to help him."
Steve, another enrolled student, said the program has already helped him, despite his initial reluctance to participate. He had perfect attendance the week before he met with Ritchie.
"I guess this means I'm going to be going to school every day now," he said.
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