2855 Colonial Blvd • Fort Myers, FL 33966
Phone: 239.334.1102 • TTD/TTY: 239.335.1512

Our Mission: To ensure that each student achieves his/her highest personal potential
Our Vision: To be a world-class school system
Student Services - Student Welfare and Attendance
2855 Colonial Boulevard
Fort Myers, FL 33966-1012

Coordinator: Mattie Young
Secretary: Dawn Robertson-André

Telephone: (239) 337-8261

Congratulations to Pat Nelson
Our 2010 - 2011 School Social Worker of the Year!

Welcome to the Student Welfare and Attendance section of the Student Services web site. Student Welfare and Attendance is an ongoing student services program that provides attendance and school social work services to students in grades PresK-12, referred by public and non-public schools, families, and community sources.

Philosophy
"Students must be present to learn"

Vision: To Empower all Students to Attend School Daily

Mission
To support schools in their efforts to achieve academic success by providing attendance services and professional social work interventions to students, families, schools, and the community in an efficient and effective manner.

Our Goals

  • Improve student attendance / Reduce truancy
  • Increase graduation rate / Reduce drop-out rate
  • Increase parent / community involvement
  • Improve the efficiency and effectiveness of Student Welfare and Attendance services
FLORIDA CHILD LABOR LAWS
Florida's Child Labor Laws - Florida Statutes 450.001 Part I covers the basic regulations governing the working relationship between minors and their employers.

Who is a Minor?
The State of Florida defines a minor as any person under eighteen (18). For the purpose of this law, the terms minor, child and youth are used interchangeable.

Purpose of the Child Labor Law
The purpose of the Florida Child Labor Law is to protect minors from harmful work situations and to encourage them to stay in high school.
 
The Attendance Program Activities include: Assisting schools with the early identification of student exhibiting patterns of nonattendance; Promoting positive student and parent attitudes toward attendance; Analysis of causes of nonattendance; and Enforcement of compulsory school attendance.

Inputs: Services are provided by a coordinator, 23 itinerant professional school-based school social workers (acting as liaisons between the school, home, and community) certified by the Department of Education, one full-time teacher-on-assignment for home education programs, one academic reading coach, and three full time secretaries. Three of the school social worker positions are funded under special projects that includes Exceptional Student Education, McKinney-Vento Act for Homeless Children, and Title I funding.  Together SWAT staff work with other district departments, school staff, and community agencies to support schools in their efforts to increase student achievement.