Attendance a high
priority in Middletown
Probation Officer Melissa Laks has worked in
collaboration with the district in reducing truancy and
behavioral problems at Middletown High School since the fall of 2007 as part of
the Safe Schools/Healthy Students (SS/HS) grant.
As Orange County's first
school-based Probation Officer, Laks responds to referrals from
principals, guidance counselors, home school liaisons, security
officers, teachers, and parents, and is available for immediate
intervention regarding behavioral problems, attendance issues,
and campus safety concerns. She provides real-time interventions,
including counseling both at school and at the homes of students,
and conducts regular field and home visits to address
at-risk factors at home and in the community.
Laks also serves as a liaison between
the district and the various youth service agencies throughout
Orange County. She
also assists in monitoring youth already on probation that are
attending the high school.
