Truancy Abatement Officer

WATERTOWN UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

VACANCY NOTICE

TRUANCY ABATEMENT OFFICER

HOURS: 7:30 am - 1:00 pm (5.5 hours per day)

DAYS: Monday - Friday on days when school is in session

PAY RATE: $24.31 per hour (Grade H - Step 1)

JOB DESCRIPTION: The Truancy Abatement Officer is a part-time non-sworn position in the Investigations Division of the Watertown Police Department. This position is responsible for providing intervention to students who exhibit truancy-related issues that include tardiness, truancy, and habitual truancy. The Truancy Abatement Officer will work cooperatively with Watertown Unified School District administration, law enforcement, city attorney, social services, municipal court, parents and other agencies to effectively intervene and redirect youth towards positive school attendance.

SUPERVISION: The Truancy Abatement Officer reports directly to the Support Services Bureau Captain. However, on day-to-day matters, he/she will be supervised through the combined efforts of the police department and school administrators.

REQUIREMENTS:

• High school diploma required; College diploma preferred;
• Previous social work, counseling, education, or law enforcement experience is preferred;
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationship with all levels of personnel within the police department, as well as with personnel of the school district, the City Attorney's office, Watertown Municipal Court, and other social service agencies as appropriate;
• Knowledge of Wisconsin State Statutes and Municipal Ordinances relative to truancy;
• Knowledge of intervention strategies effective with truants;
• Proficiency in computer skills, including: word processing, desktop publishing, database, and spreadsheet programs;
• Proficiency in creating and maintaining filing and records systems;
• Ability to effectively manage multiple tasks with minimal supervision;
• Ability to work varied work hours if required;
• Ability to observe situations analytically and make recommendations;
• Valid Wisconsin Driver's License.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Consistently monitor student attendance at elementary and middle schools through contact with attendance staff and computerized attendance records;
• Establish a working relationship with school principals and apply Wisconsin State Statutes as warranted in matters concerning compulsory school attendance;
• Provide consultation to students with identified attendance problems;
• Contact parent(s) or guardian(s) by letter, phone call, or home visit when student attendance is consistently unexcused or questionable or when students are excessively tardy, absent, and/or truant.
• Conduct home visits and in-school meetings with families struggling with attendance concerns, facilitating family and student assessments to establish a goal of improved school attendance;
• Educating parent(s) or guardian(s) regarding Wisconsin State Statutes and school district policies governing compulsory school attendance;
• Attend community and school meetings as deemed appropriate to improve school attendance;
• Formally issue municipal court citations to parent(s), guardian(s) or student(s);
• Initiate formal referrals to the social service agency of jurisdiction for truancy violations when applicable;
• When mandated, attend and provide testimony at municipal court hearings.

THE DISTRICT: Selected candidate will help to further the WUSD mission to serve our students by providing educational opportunities to promote academic excellence and a lifelong love of learning and to lead families, students and staff in realizing the WUSD vision of inspired learners through student-centered education strengthened by community involvement.

TRADITION. INNOVATION. TRANSFORMATION.

The Watertown School District has an enrollment of approximately 3,000 students taught in seven buildings.

THE COMMUNITY: The Watertown community has 24,000 residents and is located on the Rock River approximately halfway between Madison and Milwaukee, at the junction of Highways 16, 19, and 26.

DISTRICT CONTACT: Sarah Miller, Human Resources Executive Assistant; Watertown Unified School District, 111 Dodge Street, Watertown, WI 53094; 920-262-1460; millers@mywusd.org

The Watertown Unified School District does not discriminate in its education program, activities, or employment on the basis of race, color, religion or creed, sexual orientation, ancestry, national origin, sex, age, marital status, or disability status.