Truancy is a community problem not just one for schools, the principal of Dannevirke High School, says.
Dawid de Villiers said: "We're looking to get buy-in from Dannevirke Chamber of Commerce members through a formal agreement by which they will refuse to serve those who are obviously truant from school.
"There has to be a thread which goes through the community to work together. This isn't just a high school problem."
Dr de Villiers says he is hopeful if the high school can get the more than 200 members of the Chamber of Commerce on board then the system will work.
"Truancy numbers here are low, but even if we get one student back into school through this then it's worthwhile.
"Truancy is a New Zealand-wide problem but Whanganui and Levin have put in similar plans which have been successful."
There also had to be support from parental caregivers too, he added.
"We going to have a big drive against truancy, which I hope will be supported by all schools in the area.
"We want our young people in Dannevirke to be in school."
Parental caregivers will be asked to sign the pledge, indicating they support the programme to ensure young people under their care will go to school.
"We also try to support parents who have a problem standing up to their children who want to stay at home rather than come to school," Dr de Villiers said.
Tararua College principal Glynis de Castro says if her students have permission to be in town they carry a card they can show to verify this.
Gavin Smith, the youth justice manager for Child, Youth and Family, told last week's youth offending team meeting (YOT), a scheme in Levin which involved the local retailers had been very effective.
"Kids whose parents had let them have the day off were picked up too," he said.
And while a truancy officer has been appointed to cover Waipukurau, an area previously covered by Dannevirke's Mitchell Taiti, Dr de Villiers acknowledged Mr Taiti still has to cover a huge area, from Norsewood to Eketahuna and from the ranges to the ocean.
"With someone else in Waipukurau that's an improvement, but this is still a big area," he said.