Dear Editor,
I understand that truancy is a problem in Gilroy and support the
efforts of police 100 percent, but I feel that El Portal Leadership
Academy was targeted and treated unfairly.
Dear Editor,
I understand that truancy is a problem in Gilroy and support the efforts of police 100 percent, but I feel that El Portal Leadership Academy was targeted and treated unfairly. If a parent dropped their student off across the street from the school a few minutes late that does not make their students truant, it makes them tardy … A HUGE DIFFERENCE.
Another thing that was not mentioned in the article was that El Portal starts school at 8:50 am. Was that taken into consideration by the police department as they did their sweeps? Did they realize that at least one of the students they “caught” being truant was picked up just after 8:30am? Did the article mention that a majority of the El Portal students were picked up RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE SCHOOL? Did you notice in the paper that EVERY SINGLE EL PORTAL STUDENT WAS IN THEIR SCHOOL UNIFORM?
Although a college graduate now, I did my share fair of truancy in high school and I’m sure that if I was going to try to cut class, I would NOT be in my school uniform, directly in front of the school, five minutes after school started. I think The Dispatch should be fair in reporting these types of events and do a little more research as to what constitutes a tardy and what constitutes truancy.
I think the GPD should find out what time school starts before they frisk students for weapons and charge them with truancy. My heart goes out to those student who were treated unjustly and hope that they have not lost faith in our police department. Please, be fair … El Portal has withstood many a controversy and will soon reap the benefits of its success as it graduates its first class.
Fred Martinez, Gilroy
• Santa Teresa buyers
