Wednesday, May 19, 2004

Skip school, face jail, license loss By JOHN THOMPSON jthompson@TheCitizenNews.com Starting in July, the state of Georgia is getting tough on truants. That change might affect parents’ travel plans and delay teenagers getting their driver’s licenses. And you might be surprised to find out who will considered a truant. Wayne Robinson told the Fayette County Board of Education Monday night that a new law starting July 1 is going to make parents and their children more responsible for showing up to school. The new law allows a student to have five unexcused absences. After that point, the parent could face a criminal charge and time in prison, while the child could lose his drivers’ license for up to a year. The parents would receive a fine of not less than $25, possible imprisonment for 30 days or community service. A student’s trip out of town on any school days, even with parents on a family vacation, likely will be considered unexcused. After five such absences, the law kicks in. “The legislators are trying to make sure that kids stay in school,” Robinson said. While he sees good points to the law, Robinson said the school system faces challenges in getting the law ready to enforce when the new school year starts in August. The system is moving forward in having the state-mandated policy placed in all the student’s handbooks, but most likely they will be in the form of an addendum at the end of the book. “We’re also going to hand out a form to each parent explaining the new policy,’ Robinson added. The system will have to try and notify the parents twice. If the attempts are not successful, certified letters will have to be sent out, which creates another level of bureaucracy for the school system. “It would be great if the state funded us a clerical position for this,” said Chairman Terri Smith. One of the quirks in the law is the formation of a protocol committee to oversee the law. Robinson said the committee will include the chief judge of the superior court, along with a representative from the district attorney’s office, along with a school board member. But, Robinson added, the committee is not required to be in place until June of 2005. The state is also getting tough on students who drop out of classes. If a student leaves school before age 18, she will lose her driver’s license for a year. Students will also face the possibility of having to wait to get a year for their licenses or lose their licenses for a year if they are found guilty of serious offenses such as drugs, weapons charges or sexual offenses. “You mean if a kid is found with a joint in his pocket, he’ll lose his license for a year?” questioned board member Janet Smola. Robinson said that was correct, and he planned to do everything possible to notify parents and children of the new law before the school year begins.