Is it a crime punishable by fine?
By arrest?
By court appearance?
Should students have to pay $250 for being late to class? How 'bout $800?
The LA City Council Public Safety Committee thinks not and voted Monday in favor of Councilman Tony Cardenas's long-awaited proposal to change LA's hefty truancy fines.
Under the current system, police officers can search, handcuff and detain students who are late to class and then slap them with a fine upwards of $250 to $800. What's worse: the fine often comes with a mandated court appearance, which means more time outside of the classroom for students.
Instead of a fine, Cardenas's plan proposes that a first and second violation face either a plan for how to improve attendance or community service, tutoring or attending an after-school program, CBS reports. A third violation would face a fine of no more than $180.
Cardenas explained that, for some families, the fees are so expensive that they deter students from going to school if they are late. Cardenas, whose plan plan will be voted on Feb. 21 by the full City Council, said, "With court fees and penalties, the exorbitant costs of truancy violations can be a whole month's worth of groceries for some families," Patch reports (see video above).
There have also been statistics cited by civil rights groups that the truancy law targets black and Latino students, Mercury News reports. In response, Cardenas's plan requires that the LAPD publish statistics twice a year showing the age, race and gender of each student issued a ticket.
Outside the Committee's meeting Monday, about 100 high school students protested, some as graduates in caps and gowns and some in orange jail jumpsuits. The five-member panel heard testimony from students, parents and advocates who argued that being late to class is not a crime, the Los Angeles Times reports.
One student, 18-year-old Nabil Romero, told his account of being taken in a police car and being given a $350 ticket after being late because he had to take two buses to school because his single mother couldn't drive him, KPCC reports. Romero, who is now a biochemistry student at West LA College, missed school again and his mother had to take off work the day they had to go to court. Romero shared that, in order to pay the fine, "We started cutting back on food expenses, clothes expenses, shoes. This was all my fault for not being in class."
I say no, it shouldn't be. It's more important that they're in school, not what time, or for how long. Parents that homeschool, can cover the material in a few hrs each day, so why can't the schools? They complain about being under financed, and of being over-crowded, but to me there's room to workaround that. And the parents and kids shouldn't be being punished over their lack of planning or scheduling. I understand it comes across, that perhaps 'they' (being the parents, or student) just don't care, but that isn't the case for everyone. Sometimes moms have to work, or get sick, and there isn't always a dad, or grandparent, or friend...who can see to it the kid(s) are getting to school, or if they even have a way home once it gets out! It's a form of discrimmination in my opinion, and it shouldn't be allowed.
I can't help but think if this policy were in place in Boston where there has been SIGNIFICANT issue with buses being late this year. I mean "SIGNIFICANT" too.
Also, in many Boston area communities, students use public transportation (subway and bus) which are out of their control.
Maybe there would be extenuating circumstances...
HOWEVER - a "crime" worthy of arrest? I don't think so...
That is ridiculous and overboard.
They really, seriously can't think of a better way to fix this issue?!?!
Right! I live in Phoenix, and many of the students walk. There are schools everywhere here, but even though there are, some still end up a pretty good distance away. I live about a block and a half from the kids' school, so we walk. My husband works, so he has the car, and the city bus wouldn't drop us off just down the street...but even if it did, I'd be dropping the kids off late every morning! I don't have anyone who can help me get the kids to and from school, and would be beyond irrate if they wanted to punish them, or me, for being late!
Seriously - the more I think about this the more I know that I would sue the PANTS off the school district for trying to arrest my child for being late.
That's just absurd! I live in a small school district area and there are buses for pretty much everyone (if you are paying to come to this school from out of district, you have to find your own transportation). But there are times where the school buses run late and they try to count the kids tardy. What bothers me most is that if they come in after 10am, they are considered absent. That's not even half of the school day gone! Schools are getting ridiculous with the rules they are trying to implement.
Honestly I think it should be punished maybe not so much money but being late not only affects that child but all the other children as the child comes in late. There isn't enough time in the day already to fit in what is suppsoe to be taught interuptions make it worse.
An "arrestable" offense with court time too?
Quoting fineyouguyswin:Honestly I think it should be punished maybe not so much money but being late not only affects that child but all the other children as the child comes in late. There isn't enough time in the day already to fit in what is suppsoe to be taught interuptions make it worse.
Back at it TUESDAY
- auroragold
on Feb. 16, 2012 at 10:35 AM