A state Senate bill with considerable support would take driver's licenses away from students who have more than five unexcused absences. The bill would not apply to students 18 or older who are working toward their GED or to students who have to work to support a family. But it would apply to students with only part-time jobs.

We can see how the threat of losing driving privileges might make some students think twice about ditching school. But it wouldn't affect those who don't drive or who don't have access to a car.

Also, as some lawmakers have argued, a new state law may not be necessary. Family Court judges already have the authority to pull a student's drivers license. And, of course, most parents can revoke driving privileges any time they feel like it.

Finally, this bill affects students fairly late in their scholastic careers. The best time to address truancy problems is in the earlier grades before the pattern has been set.

Chester County is taking a different approach. The school district is enlisting volunteers who will work with school officials to track problem students and involve them in mediation programs.

Truancy is a major contributor to a high dropout rate in Chester County. A survey, which tracked students who enrolled in the eighth grade but not in the 12th grade four years later, reflected a 43.3 percent dropout rate. And that was after accounting for students who were held back a grade, moved out of the state or opted to finish school through adult education.

Those in charge of the district's Safe Schools Healthy Students program think that limiting truancy will help reduce the dropout rate. They believe that if they can intervene, they can help put students back on a path toward graduation.

This entails more than just punishing students for skipping classes. District officials realize that one of the primary reasons students skip school is because they are performing at a lower level than their classmates. If, for example, students haven't developed sufficient reading skills by the time they get to high school, they often miss classes to avoid the embarrassment of being asked to read.

The first step in combating truancy is a call home. This is followed with a letter and, perhaps, a conference with parents and students to work out a plan to get the student back in school.

Volunteers also stress finding other ways for students to become involved in school and be successful, such as through club activities or sports. If they find something they like about going to school, they are more likely to stay.

Also, just having an adult volunteer who is attentive and concerned about a student's well being will be an incentive for many to attend school more regularly.

There is no single, easy answer to the problem of truancy. Clearly, however, early intervention and making sure students learn necessary basic skills when they are young can be crucial to earning a high school diploma.

Somewhere in the mix, threatening to take away driver's licenses might be helpful. But it's certainly not a magic bullet.