Attendance/Truancy Officer

Willingboro School District • Willingboro, NJ

348d

About The Position

The District's Attendance Truancy Officer will monitor student attendance to minimize tardiness and truancy problems that inhibit access to educational opportunities in accordance with law, regulations and board policies. To initiate legal residency challenges when indicated. Under direction, patrol district streets during school hours to deter truant behavior, investigate habitual truancy and determine causes of truancy or delinquency; perform other related duties as required.

Requirements

• High school diploma; college-level course work in human behavior, child development or related field.
• Valid New Jersey driver's license.
• Demonstrated ability to work successfully with children and adults, and sensitivity to cultural diversity.
• Knowledge of child welfare and compulsory education laws and regulations.
• Minimum one year of work-related experience.

Nice To Haves

• Knowledge of methods likely to be successful in promoting student attendance at school.
• Knowledge of techniques used to deal with a hostile individual.
• Ability to read and interpret laws, rules and regulations of the District related to school attendance, and to apply them to specific situations.
• Ability to enforce remedial actions permitted by the District.
• Ability to prepare reports.
• Ability to establish and maintain records and files.
• Ability to utilize various types of electronic recording and information systems used in the agency, office or related units.
• Will be required to perform physical activity and counseling while on daily patrol.

Responsibilities

• Maintain contact with all schools to monitor undocumented absences and excessive tardiness; confer with parents and make home calls when necessary.
• Enforce the statutes, policies, and regulations on school attendance.
• Ascertain, daily, the number of pupil absences.
• Conduct a check of any pupil whose reason for absence seems inadequate or illegal and visit or telephone to determine if the pupil is truant.
• Examine all violations of the attendance code and warn the child and his/her parent or guardian of the legal responsibility of the child and parent.
• Counsel students regarding absenteeism and tardiness to gain their cooperation and identify any underlying problems that may warrant intervention by a social worker, psychologist, or other professional staff member.
• Advise parents of their legal responsibility to ensure school attendance and issue notices as required under district policy and law.
• Confer regularly with building principals, security chief, school nurses, teachers and child study-team members regarding students who are chronically absent/tardy.
• Perform all duties specified in state law, and administration code and in accordance with board policy and procedures.
• Perform other related duties as may be assigned by the superintendent.
• Maintain daily surveillance of areas where truant students congregate and other places frequented during school hours.
• Conduct investigations and home visitations.
• When necessary, may transport students to home schools.
• Return truant students to central site or home school.
• Develop clear, sound, accurate and informative daily and weekly reports containing findings, recommendations and conclusions of all truants picked up.
• Act as a member of a multi-disciplinary social services team.
• Collaborate with Safe Schools/Healthy Students grant management team.
• Participate in activities that promote professional growth.

What This Job Offers

• Industry: Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support
• Education Level: High school or GED