III 

Calendar No. 924 

110TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 624 

Designating August 2008 as ‘‘National Truancy Prevention Month’’. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 25, 2008 

Mr. WHITEHOUSE (for himself, Mr. HATCH, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, Ms. MIKULSKI, 

Mr. KERRY, Mr. SANDERS, Mr. CARDIN, and Mr. LEAHY) submitted the 

following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

JULY 31, 2008 

Reported by Mr. LEAHY, without amendment 

RESOLUTION 

Designating August 2008 as ‘‘National Truancy Prevention 

Month’’. 

Whereas public schools in the United States are facing a 

dropout crisis, with approximately 1,200,000 students 

not graduating from high school on time and only 70 percent of students earning high school diplomas; 

Whereas truancy has been shown to be the first and best indicator that a child will drop out of school, use marijuana 

for the first time, and commit juvenile crimes by the age 

of 15; 


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SRES 624 RS 

Whereas the incidence of truancy in a recent national survey 

found that 11 percent of eighth grade students, 16 percent of tenth grade students, and 35 percent of twelfth 

grade students reported skipping 1 or more days of 

school during the previous 30 days; 

Whereas chronic truants often miss more days of school than 

they attend; 

Whereas absentee rates relate directly to graduation rates 

and are highest in public schools in urban areas; 

Whereas truant eighth graders are more likely to say they do 

not believe they will graduate from high school or attend 

college than their peers who attend regularly; 

Whereas truancy has been found to be a risk factor for substance abuse, teen pregnancy, and school dropout; 

Whereas the average annual income for a high school dropout 

in 2005 was $17,299, compared to $26,933 for a high 

school graduate; 

Whereas it has been demonstrated that when truancy is addressed, there is a reduction in the rates of daytime 

crime, juvenile crime, drug use, and delinquency; 

Whereas effective truancy reduction programs can take many 

forms and can be implemented in many different settings, 

including in schools, courts, and through community programs; 

Whereas truancy prevention programs focused on middle 

grade students are key to preventing future dropouts; 

and 

Whereas truancy reduction programs are highly cost effective, 

reduce juvenile and adult crime, and save taxpayer 

money: Now, therefore, be it 


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SRES 624 RS 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) designates August 2008 as ‘‘National Tru3 ancy Prevention Month’’; 

4 (2) recognizes the significant harm of chronic 

5 truancy to the youth of the United States; 

6 (3) acknowledges the work being done by tru7 ancy prevention programs throughout the United 

8 States to help at-risk youth; and 

9 (4) encourages law enforcement, school officials, 

10 the judiciary, community leaders, and the business 

11 community to work together to address truancy. 


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Calendar No. 924 

110TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 624 

RESOLUTION 

Designating August 2008 as ‘‘National Truancy 

Prevention Month’’. 

JULY 31, 2008 

Reported without amendment 


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