Prevention Services / Truancy

The Prevention Services department would like to welcome Nicholas Cunningham and Derek Turner to the team. Both Nick and Derek bring many years of experience in working with children and families to the ROE. Nick will serve as a Prevention Services Specialist/Truant Officer and Derek as our School and Family Engagement Case Manager. We are lucky to have them on board and are excited for the future of our program.

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Scott Sensabaugh - Director of Prevention Services/Truant Officer: scott.sensabaugh@riroe.com

Hampton, Moline-Coal Valley (Wilson Middle School, Butterworth, Franklin, Jane Addams, Logan, Roosevelt, Washington), Riverdale (Riverdale Elementary, Riverdale Middle School, Riverdale High School), Silvis (George O. Barr, Northeast Junior High), East Moline (Glenview Middle School, Bowlesburg, Hillcrest, Ridgewood, Wells), United Township High School.

Jennifer Mayares-Soberanis - Assistant Director of Prevention Services/Truant Officer: jennifer.mayares-soberanis@riroe.com

Moline-Coal Valley (Lincoln-Irving) and Rock Island/Milan School District (Denkmann, Earl Hanson, Eugene Field, Frances Willard, Longfellow, RI Center for Math & Science, Ridgewood, Rock Island Academy and Thomas Jefferson). Jennifer will also be assisting with Spanish-speaking referrals throughout the county.

Nicholas Cunningham - Prevention Services Specialist/Truant Officer: nicholas.cunningham@riroe.com

Carbon Cliff/Barstow, Rockridge School District, Sherrard School District, Moline/Coal Valley (Moline High School/Aspire, Bicentennial, Hamilton, John Deere Middle, Moline High School and Willard), Rock Island School District (RIHS, Edison Jr. High, Washington Jr. High and Thurgood Marshall)

Derek Turner - School and Family Engagement Case Manager for all Rock Island County Districts: derek.turner@riroe.com

Derek will establish and implement a screening, referral, and follow-up process for truant and chronic truant students and families to engage in needed behavioral health and social services, in order to reduce the barriers of school attendance and increase academic achievement. Contact Derek to refer students and their families, in order for him to: provide assessments, develop comprehensive plans, conduct home/school visits to monitor progress, provide case management, and provide referrals and information about community resources that are available to support families.

  • The Illinois School Code requires children between ages 6 and 17 to attend school. Areas of assistance that are provided to students, families and schools include attendance awareness programs, truancy prevention hearings, attendance policy development, individual casework, drop-out prevention activities and intervention.

  • Prevention Services Referral Procedure Protocol

Step One: Absenteeism letter FY25  (from school) is sent to the parent/guardian(s) at 5-7 days of unexcused absences. Unexcused tardiness incidents may also be included in the letter as well. This is the first warning to the parent/guardian(s). Do not send the ROE this letter until referral time. 

**It is recommended that a school-based meeting be held to discuss the student’s attendance and may include ROE personnel.

Step Two: Referral Letter School FY25 (from school) is sent to the parent/guardian(s) after 8-10 or more days of unexcused absences. At this point, the parent/guardian(s) are notified they have been referred to the ROE #49 Prevention Services program.
Please Note: Unexcused tardy referrals will be accepted under the discretion of the truant officer. Due to high volume of referrals, unexcused absence referrals will take precedence.

Step Three: Referral to the Regional Office-Prevention Services (from school) will consist of a copy of the first letter, referral letter, Referral Checklist, latest attendance records. Also, on the Referral Checklist you will need to check all that apply, including interventions the school has made in regard to the student's truant behavior. We suggest that there be at least 4 checked (1st letter, 2nd letter, phone calls, meetings, etc.) If the referral check list is not filled out completely, acceptance of the case may be delayed. Once the case is accepted, the student has officially been referred to the ROE #49 Prevention Services program.

Step Four: An Appointment Letter (from ROE) is sent to the parent/guardian(s) to arrange a meeting with a Prevention Service Specialist regarding their case.  At this meeting the Prevention Service Specialist will discuss with the parent/guardian(s) interventions to barriers, availability of local services and agencies, will offer to make the proper referrals where necessary, and discuss the Illinois laws and city ordinances regarding child truancy. If the parent/guardian(s) is compliant and follows through with the recommended services, the case may be exited at the discretion of the Prevention Services Specialist. School personnel is invited to this meeting if they would like to join as all meetings take place in the school building.

Step Five: If a parent/guardian is non-compliant and/or fails to appear for the appointment, a Notice to Appear before the Truancy Review Board (truancy court) will be delivered. This panel meets with the students and families with chronic absenteeism in order to develop a plan to meet the needs of the student and family. After this step, improvement in attendance is mandatory.

Step Six: The Truancy Review Board will request a pre-trial hearing from the State's Attorney's Office in the event that there are any further unexcused absences or if the recommendations made by the Board are not followed. All paperwork will be completed and submitted to the Rock Island County Sheriff’s Department by the designated Prevention Services Specialist.

*All referrals to the Prevention Services Program will be monitored throughout the school year with a determination at the end of the year if the case will be continued the following year.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact Scott Sensabaugh, Director of Prevention Services, at (309) 736-1111