(Ed.note: I have reposted this note as background for the Public Safety meeting coming up on May 7, 2008 when truancy will again be on the agenda.)
( Ed. note: If you look at the Evansville Common Council agenda tonight, there is a motion to amend the truancy ordinance. I asked Judge Tom Alisankus to review with us what this was all about. Here is his reply. )
Richard:
I can't remember if the Observer was able to cover the whole truancy issue as it developed last year, so if this is 'old' news, ignore it.
Under state law, there are two types of truancy: Daily truancy, which is punishable by a forfeiture of up to $50 plus costs (actually, I should start replacing the word "costs" with the phrase, "legislatively imposed fees", since it is the Wisconsin Legislature which turns a $50 ordinance violation into a $109.00 ticket; or a $30 traffic ticket into an $83.80 ticket in municipal court--much more if it goes through circuit court--but, I suppose that's a different story....) and requires the school to notify the parents of the truancy; and, Habitual Truancy, which has significantly higher penalties (up to $500 plus l.i.fees; drivers' license suspension of up to one year; and a host of others....) PLUS, it requires the school not only to notify the parents of the truancy, but do a number of other things, such as meet with the parents, actively try to find out what could be causing the truancy--either academic, social, home-or other contribuiting factors--and other things, required by state law.
Well, when E'ville recodified its ordinances several years ago, by error, our local ordinances made the Habitual T. requirements apply to the Daily T. cases as well. The school and the p.d. wanted to change it back, but, to the credit of the Public Safety Committee, they accepted my recommendation that at least for a year, they should leave it the same--with the idea being that maybe early intervention on Daily T's could avert the more serious Habitual T.'s
We will be at the one-year mark in March, when I plan to crunch the actual numbers.In the mean time, the school asked if it could refine the questions it had to ask on D.T.'s--which I reviewed and agreed with--and THAT is what Public Safety--again, to its credit--agreed to change. (I really do appreciate Public Safety Committees' genuine interest in this topic; they've been wonderful to work with under Tom Cothard's leadership.....)
BTW, our collective truancy program that includes the school, police and court, have SIGNIFICANTLY reduced overall truancy.So, that's what's up with that.
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I want to let Judge Tom knows that his way has worked much better. Before the school did not even notify the parent, just ticketed the kid. Little hard for parents to make changes, if they don't know. Most parents leave for work before there kids do school . By the way the school has to by law put things in to place to help eliminate truancy with any child, you have to ask though, because they don't offer.
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