The Anaheim Union High School District began the six-week pilot program earlier this month. About 75 junior high schoolers who have four or more unexcused absences were given handheld GPS devices. They must punch in a code five times a day so their locations are known.
The Orange County Register says it's the first district in California to experiment with the program.
The program costs about $8 a day per student but it's considered cost-efficient since the schools lose $35 a day in government funding for each absence.
Truancy also is a crime and officials say the program is an effort to keep kids from being prosecuted.
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Information from: The Orange County Register, www.ocregister.com
