You Need To Know: Law Enforcement Could Cite Arizona Parents for THIS

Imagine having a chronically sick child who misses a lot of school. Could keeping your kid home land you in jail? What about an errant teenager who keeps skipping school? Can law enforcement hold parents responsible when kids are absent from school?

Anything is possible under the new rules suggested by Arizona Superintendent Tom Horne.

Tom Horne wants law enforcement to get involved to help cut down on chronic absenteeism in Arizona's schools.

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He thinks Arizona police officers should issue citations to parents whose kids are chronically absent. He also stated that schools should revoke course credit after a student has nine absences.

Is it me, or is this giving Principal Ed Rooney from Ferris Bueller's Day Off vibes?

(Nine. Times.)

Chronic Absenteeism in Arizona Schools

Chronic absenteeism in Arizona has gone down since the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. While that's good news, the problem is still significantly higher than before the pandemic knocked us for a loop.

Last year, about 24% of elementary and middle school students were chronically absent, compared to 12% in the 2017-18 school year. It's clear something has to be done, but sending the police to your home to issue a citation? Is that really the best way to handle this?

As it turns out, there are already laws on the books in Arizona:

According to Arizona Revised Statute § 15-802, "Every child between the ages of six and sixteen years shall attend a school and shall be provided instruction in at least the subjects of reading, grammar, mathematics, social studies and science."

Under Arizona's compulsory education law, unless a student has an exception, truant students could end up in juvenile court, and their parents could face criminal charges for their chronic absences.

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Tom Horne and Arizona School Truancies

Tom Horne thinks Arizona's truancy laws should be enforced. He's urging city attorneys across the state to prioritize truancy citations.

Horne cited an Arizona law that lets certified officers cite parents whose children fail to attend school. He's asking for more collaboration between parents, administrators, and law enforcement to affect this plan.

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I tend to agree with Maricopa County Sheriff Jerry Sheridan on this topic. He says that police officers should only issue citations to parents as a last resort. He believes schools should talk to parents and counsel students before law enforcement steps in.

School administrations are already over-stretched. It's hard to tell if this approach will help schools or create more heat from parents and add more layers of government red tape.

Sources: AZ Central | Wikipedia | Legal Clarity | Lawyers.com | ARS 15-802

Ferris Bueller's Day Off movie poster courtesy Paramount Pictures