Recently Launched Truancy Center 'Working Effectively' Say Lynwood District Officials

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No more will Sheriff's deputies be stuck babysitting students caught ditching school in Lynwood.

Thanks to a collaborative effort between the Lynwood Unified School District and Lynwood High School, students caught skipping out on class are now being sent to the high school's Alernative Attendance Center - a place that not only allows students to catch up on school material but also offers health and counseling services as well. 

"Helping our children is critical for me," said LUSD superintendent Edward Velasquez, who helped implement the program based on a similar model used during his tenure as a superintendent in Montebello. 

Students who are suspended from school are also sent to center to catch up on work they would have otherwised missed. 

"You send them home and it's a reward for them," said Velazquez. "[They will] play video games and watch T.V."

The center will also be a place where these difficult students can be free from drugs and juvenile delinquent behavior. 

"They're not out there smoking weed or breaking into cars," added Velasquez.

The program also allows for deputies to have a place to send students they might find at a park or walking through the streets, instead of having to stay with them until a guardian shows up or school day ends.

It also becomes a means for the school district to recover lost Average Daily Attendance (ADA) funding provided by the state.

The center, which can hold about 20 students per day, is staffed by two counselors and a teacher who helps students with homework.

Students are kept inside the bungalow during regular school hours, and cannot interact with the rest of the student population on campus, nor can they be on their cell phones or talk with their peers.

They have designated bathroom breaks, a set lunch time and are closely watched by staff. 

Aside to academic help, students are also mandated to attend counseling provided by Atlantic Recovery Services. 

According to Darrin Darbins, a registered addiction specialist, he sees one-parent households as a common underlying factor for the students' rebellion. 

Such rebellion leads to "continued and progressed drug and alcohol usage" especially during the sophomore and junior years where it becomes more prevalent, said Darbins. 

Students are taken into one-on-one and group counseling sessions where they talk about their problems, such as depression or dysfunctional families, and are referred to specific places that can help them, whether it is school related or not.

"We get to know the kids and their issues... and help them with resources," said Darbins. "I think it works."

According to Velasquez, the center is not limited to Lynwood Unified students either.

Since the center opened at the beginning of the school year, staff has received students from cities such as Compton and Downey as well. 

Velasquez hopes that eventually word will spread among students about the strictness of the center and the consequences one will face if caught ditching or suspended.

According to Velasquez, the cost for the program is $40,000 total for the next three years, after which he hopes the district will be able to receive a grant to continue paying for the service.

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