Bill puts price on skipping school
By Lynda Arakawa
Advertiser Capitol Bureau
Play hooky and you pay the price. Literally.
Those determined to have not been diligent in keeping a child in school would be subject to fines of: • First offense: $100 to $500 • Second offense: $300 to $700 • Third or any subsequent offenses: $500 to $900
That's the message some lawmakers are sending with a bill that would fine parents or guardians $100 to $900 if they don't do enough to keep their kids from skipping school.
What truancy might cost
The House Education Committee gave the bill preliminary approval yesterday, and it is slated to go to the Judiciary Committee for further review. Rep. Maile Shimabukuro, D-45th (Wai'anae, Makaha), introduced the bill and seven other representatives co-signed the legislation.
Under House Bill 277, if a child of school age "persists in absenting the child's self from school," the child's parent or guardian would have to appear before an administrative hearings officer. Those determined to have not been diligent in keeping the child in school would be subject to a fine of $100 to $500 for a first offense, $300 to $700 for a second offense, and $500 to $900 for a third or any subsequent offenses.
The penalties don't stop there. The bill also would require those responsible for the truant to do community service. Children older than 11 who repeatedly skip school could also face these penalties: up to 450 hours of detention, a ban from one or more co-curricular activities, a suspension of their driver's license, and home detention or curfew using electronic monitoring and surveillance.
State schools superintendent Pat Hamamoto said in her written testimony that the fines may cause financial hardship to families and that schools already can seek Family Court assistance regarding truancy and educational neglect. Hamamoto also said in her testimony that the department may consider ordering a principal to prohibit a child from participating in one or more co-curricular activities if the truancy persists.
Under current law, failing to keep a child in school is a petty misdemeanor.
But Wai'anae High School vice principal Scott Moore said in his written testimony that the bill is necessary to address his school's high rate of truancy, noting more than 200 students are absent at least 10 days each quarter.
"The problem is that we cannot provide any sanctions to motivate irresponsible parents and children," he wrote. "All the counseling and notification in the world do nothing for people that are fundamentally irresponsible."
