Dozens of volunteers including school administrators and members of local businesses and organizations fanned out throughout Rochester Thursday on the first "truancy blitz" of the new school year.
This is an effort that began three years ago, trying to improve the attendance of city students. Superintendent Bolgen Vargas says on any given day more than 10 percent of city students are not in class, and many of those are not excused absences.
"My hope is that we continue to send a message to the community that we need help and that we have too many children that are not coming to school every day. The district cannot be successful unless we get our students to come to school to learn every day. "
The volunteers get a list from the district on which homes to visit and the focus is on students who have already missed three days of school or more this year.
