Truancy Rates High At Sacramento County Schools

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Truancy seems to be the new norm for Sacramento County schools.

That's when students miss three or more days of school without a legitimate excuse—or -- they come to school more than 30 minutes late, several times during the school year.

READ THE REPORT: California Truancy 2014-15

Three high schools within the Twin River Unified School District are trying to battle the growing problem.

"Yeah, it's very obvious that they out here just hanging out," says Aaron Amison, who used to be a truant himself when he attended Grant Union High School in Sacramento.

Aaron Amison graduated from Grant Union High School two years ago.

He says he always sees high schoolers hanging around the school when they should be in class.

"I ain't gonna lie, I cut. I used to cut a lot.

Amison says the high school's open campus makes it easy for students to wander off.

Their place of choice? Jimmy's Deli, right down the street.

"Sometimes they are skipping school during school hours," says Thai Thao, who owns the deli.

Thao says over the past two years the number of students loitering around his business during school hours has gone down, in part because of the security guards he hired.

"I saw a lot of adults, they're selling maybe drugs or something and handing it to the kids."

According to California's Department of Education, the truancy rate for Grant Union High School was 91-percent for the 2014-15 school year.

Highlands High School followed closely with 87 percent, and Foothill High School at 84 percent.

CBS 13 asked the Twin Rivers Unified School District why the truancy rates are so high.

"Maybe there might be some social and emotional things that are going on in the home, sometimes students have lost a family member or a parent, and in some cases we have older siblings who may be responsible for taking younger siblings to school," says Rudy Puente, the district's Director of Student Services.

Puente says the district is trying to focus on working with families to help educate them about the importance of attending school every day, even working to set up a form of transportation for students to come to school.

Looking back, Amison says he should've stayed in class.

"Education is the key to success, I ain't gonna lie to you, it is and I realize that now."

The district also partners with the Sacramento County District Attorney -- they have meetings every year to discuss how to help students who are chronically absent.