Bethel-Hanberry Elementary School
125 Boney Road   Blythewood, South Carolina  29016            Telephone:  803-691-6880     FAX 803-691-6883
 

IMPORTANT ATTENDANCE INFORMATION
 

Attendance Policy and Laws      Seguimiento de Las Leyes y Las Normas

• Nearly one in ten 15 year olds are truant at least once a week

• Truancy is a gateway crime. Many truants are exposed to, and become involved in, high-risk behaviors.

• Truancy is a precursor to dropping out. 82% of all prison inmates are dropouts

• The possible costs to the individual are: lost income potential (the median income for a dropout is half that of a high school graduate), unemployment, crime, incarceration, homelessness, addiction, and poor relationships.

• The costs to the community are higher taxes, higher crime rates, an uneducated workforce, and a stagnate economy due to reduced spending power.

South Carolina Truancy Facts

• South Carolina is one of only two states in the nation that incarcerates its youth for truancy.

• Approximately 30% of students do not complete high school (Kids Count Report, 2000). Falling behind is a major reason for leaving. The 1990 census recorded 783,610 South Carolinians over age 18 without a high school diploma.

• DJJ received 2,995 truancy cases in 2000. 60% of these were processed through family court.

• Truants made up 17% of all juveniles committed to institutions in 2000.

• South Carolina has appropriated little to no funding for truancy prevention and intervention.