As the new school year begins, the Mississippi Department of Education Office of Compulsory School Attendance Enforcement reminds parents about the law governing school attendance.
Under the Mississippi Compulsory School Attendance Law, parents and guardians are required to enroll their children in a public, private or home school. This law applies to children who have reached the age of 6 and have not exceeded the age of 17 by Sept. 1, 2010.
Last school year, the Lowndes County attendance enforcement officers filed 134 petitions — 116 petitions in Lowndes County Youth Court and 18 in Justice Court, according to Jewel Edwards, school attendance officer for New Hope and Caledonia schools, as well as Sale International Studies and Franklin Medical Sciences and Wellness elementary schools.
Parents are held responsible for attendance of children ages 5-13, while high school students ages 13-17 and up are held accountable for their own attendance.
Parents can face jail time and fines after their child has 12 unexcused absences.
Students taken to Youth Court can be placed in Juvenile Detention for up to 90 days.
“After 12 unexcused absences, that”s when they are taken to court,” said Edwards. “After five unexcused absences, they try to make contact with the parents.”
Parents are arrested on charges of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and can face fines of $100 to $300 or more unless documentation of excused absences in provided.
While it”s “important that they be here to learn,” Edwards also notes another major impact of absences.
“Attendance has to do with federal funding in the schools being adequate,” Edwards explained. “If the students aren”t here, if they”re not attending, our schools aren”t getting the funding they need.”
Children who have attained or will attain the age of 5 years on or before Sept. 1, 2010, and have enrolled in a full-day public kindergarten will be under the Compulsory School Attendance Law.
Parents interested in teaching their children at home are required to complete a certificate of enrollment card before Sept. 1, 2010.
Any parent or guardian who fails to comply with the compulsory school attendance law may be punished in a court of law.
For more information, call Polly Dentry at 662-241-7180, Jewel Edwards at 662-328-1119, or Sally Tate at 662-241-4225.
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