Should truants be put in dorms?

June 3rd, 2008 at 10:33am Wally Haas

Les Reid, who was a Belvidere School Board vice president from 1995 to 2003, called me a while back with an idea on how to help truants.

He said he was touched by a news story in which a child said she had nothing to come home to at the end of the school day.

He wondered what could happen if kids like that could be housed in dormitories and have the appropriate support structure. His idea would be to have the kids in the dorms during the school week and then go home on weekends.

The dorm life could ensure the kids got fed properly, that there was someone there to help with homework, and that there were adults and students around to offer encouragement.

The plan would be costly at first, but the eventual benefit to the kids and to society would outweigh that.

The idea sounds similar to orphanage homes, but with more freedom to come and go.
What do you think?

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