Posted: 6/22/2006 4:39:45 PM EDT
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I get home today and I find a notice from Superior Court demanding my wife and I along with out 12 year old to appear in Juvenile Court because she had missed too much school this past year. What can we expect? |
| Mind if I ask how many absences she had? Were they because they were unexcused vs. excused? My daughter had way over the limit this last semester too (6 is the limit), and lost credit in her first two classes (alternate classes every other day). Where do they draw the line in your school district? |
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Doess this pass the sniff test? RCW 28A.225.030 Petition to juvenile court for violations by a parent or child — School district responsibilities. (1) If a child is required to attend school under RCW 28A.225.010 and if the actions taken by a school district under RCW 28A.225.020 are not successful in substantially reducing an enrolled student's absences from public school, not later than the seventh unexcused absence by a child within any month during the current school year or not later than the tenth unexcused absence during the current school year the school district shall file a petition and supporting affidavit for a civil action with the juvenile court alleging a violation of RCW 28A.225.010: (a) By the parent; (b) by the child; or (c) by the parent and the child. Except as provided in this subsection, no additional documents need be filed with the petition. (2) The district shall not later than the fifth unexcused absence in a month: . (a) Enter into an agreement with a student and parent that establishes school attendance requirements; . (b) Refer a student to a community truancy board, if available, as defined in RCW 28A.225.025. The community truancy board shall enter into an agreement with the student and parent that establishes school attendance requirements and take other appropriate actions to reduce the child's absences; or . (c) File a petition under subsection (1) of this section. (3) The petition may be filed by a school district employee who is not an attorney. (4) If the school district fails to file a petition under this section, the parent of a child with five or more unexcused absences in any month during the current school year or upon the tenth unexcused absence during the current school year may file a petition with the juvenile court alleging a violation of RCW 28A.225.010. (5) Petitions filed under this section may be served by certified mail, return receipt requested. If such service is unsuccessful, or the return receipt is not signed by the addressee, personal service is required. |
I'm told from those that have been through it that you will be lectured and warned the first time. Second offence is a fine I hear. Hope it goes okay. |
14 I think. |
This state can kiss my ass. WTF do they expect. Both my wife and I work and our work hours are such that we can't be home to get the kids up for school. We kept telling her that she needs to get herself up and off to school but she never reallly understood or cared. I have her real scared right now. I told her that she might have to spend the Summer in juvi hall and it will cost us several hundred a month to pay for it. 
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How old is your daughter? I had a similar problem my Junior year of High School (1996). I had 13 abscences (limit was 10 or 11 I think), and I had to petition the school to get my credit. It was a pain, but I got my credits. Never did the subject of court ever come up. Is this a new thing? |
Hell, at my old HS they would have given her an "Excellent Attendance" certificate for only have missed that many days in a year. But seriously though, if it was causing a significant drop in grades I would understand, but if her grades were good I really don't see what the problem is. Although maybe it's some kind of life lesson they think they are trying to teach for the future, but still if the job gets done it should be all good. Just my 1/2cent.  -z |
Things have sure changed.  I was expelled from my school in the 7th grade for attendance issues, (missed 68 days towards the beginning of the school year), and was still moved on to 8th without a problem. Mom got one letter sent home, adviseing that her son wasn't allowed back on school property. (other issues involved also) ETA; that one letter was 'intercepted'. She never saw it. No calls or any other contact from the school. |
What with only one school down in your area.... How did you get by? 
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I grew up with my mother in Seattle until age 13. This was Worth McClure Jr. High on Queen Anne hill. ETA; What they did back then, was ship troubled kids like myself off to a school that was more specialized in dealing with my sort. I would tell you more about it, but I was only there a few times  what can I say? hanging out downtown was more fun.
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| I had a guy in my high school who's one stellar quality was that he never missed one single day of shool from first grade on. Not one. Ever. Donald's other redeeming qualities included being able to pick any lock he saw while falling down drunk. Which he proved one night by unlocking the door of every other store on main street. That and he could hold his breathe until he passed out. Think about that last one. |
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I could have graduated from high school after my junior year if I took a full class load and went to summer school after my junior year. I wanted to party instead. In order to graduate from HS I needed to take english literature / composition It was only offered in the mid afternoon class time slot, so sometimes I ditched to go to the beach, party or to go to work early. I ended up making a deal with the teacher that I didn't need to be in class if I could pass the quizes and the mid/final exams. The class was graded on attendance, quizes and mid/final exams. I failed the attendance part, aced the quizes and got an A- for the mid/final exam. |
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I'm gunna be an ass here, I know, and I have little room to speak as my 12 yo is quickly becoming less enthused with being cooperative. However, the state has, in a nut shell, a handful of responsibilities (that it hasn't usurped from the rest of us already). Utilities, common defense, education and a system of law. We the people, being the state, have a vested interest in our children being educated, not only to provide for themselves, but to keep from being a burden. With this, we have charged the state with providing 12+ years of compulsory education. So I guess I'm not sure why we're peeved at the state for doing what we've asked it to do? WA State Constitution - ARTICLE IX - EDUCATION SECTION 1 PREAMBLE. It is the paramount duty of the state to make ample provision for the education of all children residing within its borders, without distinction or preference on account of race, color, caste, or sex. |
We only get one chance to raise our kids. When we leave them to their own devices or allow them to be raised by their peers, the results are less than satisfactory. It sounds like you are in a tough spot, Gibby. At the end of the day, the question that must be asked is this: Is having dusl incomes more important than the raising of your children? No success can compensate for failure in the home. Good luck Gibby. I hope you are able to find successful resolution to the root problem. |
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This has become of much more concern to school districts in the past couple of years. There have been a couple of kids that have been killed or injured while cutting classes. Parent thought they were going to school, they end up being in the wrong place at the wrong time and are murdered. In at least one case the school had made some effort to contact the parents, but it was evidently "intercepted" and they were found at least partially libel (civil court) for the death. Shortly after that the legislature toughened the laws requiring the school districts to be more affirmative in their actions regarding student truancy. It was one of those bills that was named after the dead child. It led to stricter enforcement by schools as to loss of credit and monitoring absences, but was still not sufficient in the view of some parents and a lot of district lawyers. Seattle School District made this a special emphasis this year and a number of schools tried to develop new schemes for their attendance policies. (Most of which failed to fix or accomplish much.) |
