Not in class? See you in court

Truants, parents get advice and the threat of jail

Judge Ronald Craft listens during Truancy Court proceedings Wednesday Nov. 18, at the Butler County Juvenile Justice center in Hamilton. Truancy Court is designed to help students stay in school.

Staff photo by Nick Daggy Judge Ronald Craft listens during Truancy Court proceedings Wednesday Nov. 18, at the Butler County Juvenile Justice center in Hamilton. Truancy Court is designed to help students stay in school.

ENLARGE PHOTO

Photos: Butler Co. Truancy Court

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By Lauren Pack, Staff Writer Updated 1:42 PM Monday, November 23, 2009

HAMILTON — For most students, skipping school is a lark, maybe even a right of passage straight out of the 1986 movie, “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.”

It’s a day of fun, perhaps a bit of mischief, but it is not a habit. However, for thousands, truancy is a constant problem that can be the beginning of a life of delinquency that carries into adulthood, Butler County Juvenile Court officials say.

A child who doesn’t attend school, as required by law, can fall behind, may drop out altogether and then have no skills by which to earn a living. Crime can be the next step.

“If you were to look back at the young people who populate our institutions, school truancy was often the beginning,” said Rob Clevenger, juvenile court administrator. “But to then say all truants will end up going down that path is not true. There are many reasons why young people end up with truancy problems — medical, school phobias, home environment. We do know we need to keep kids in school — it impedes further delinquent behavior.”

Enter a specialized court aimed at nipping chronic truancy in the bud. Butler County Truancy Court is an opportunity for chronic truants and their parents to take advantage of resources before the problem reaches a criminal level.

As of last week, just three months into the school year, 484 cases already have been referred to truancy court, according to statistics provided by Tim Meyers, administrative services/facility manger for juvenile court. The 2008 school year saw a total of 889 cases, and 2007 saw 1,030 cases.

“We know the No. 1 cause of delinquency in America is truancy. Kids commit crime together. They skip school and end up with other truants, burglarizing homes, vandalizing property. Sometimes in groups of four or five,” said Butler County Juvenile Judge Ronald Craft, who oversees the truancy program and often sees children who do not succeed in his court. “Keeping kids in school is key. We are aggressive about it.”

Few adults if they are truthful will deny skipping school once or twice or at least bending the boundaries when given a bit of freedom of special classes.

That includes Butler County Juvenile Court Administrator Rob Clevenger.

“I made some poor choices as a young man growing up,” he said.

Juvenile Judge Ronald Craft, a Fairfield High School graduate, said, “We didn’t spend a whole lot of time selling ads,” when given the freedom to leave school as a member of the newspaper staff.

Those few indiscretions would not have landed them in Butler County Truancy Court, but multiple unexcused absences would.

Specifically, a habitual truant student is defined as a child absent without legitimate excuse for five or more consecutive school days; seven or more schools days in one school month; or 12 or more school days in a school year. To be identified as a chronic truant, a child must be absent without a legitimate excuse for seven or more consecutive school days, 10 or more school days in one school month or 15 or more school days in a school year.

“We are not just talking a few days here,” said Dianne Reist, director of specialized dockets for Butler County Juvenile Court.

Students found unruly in court can have their driver’s license suspended, be ordered to pay a fine of $90, participate in a variety of programs including alternative school, mediation and counseling. Continued problems can mean an overnight stay at the juvenile justice center and criminal charges, which could lead to more time behind bars, where they attend school at the juvenile detention facility.

Parents found guilty by the court of failure to cause their youngster to attend school also can be ordered pay a $90 fine and participate in parenting classes. Continued problems can result in criminal charges against the adult and a stay in the county jail of up to six months and a $1,000 fine.

Truancy Court is presided over weekly by Magistrate Greg Hatcher. Reist calls the cases; school district truant officers and court probation officers also are in the courtroom with records in hand. While the goal of the court is to see each child succeed and stay in school, there is little coddling of the students or parents.

During the Wednesday, Nov. 18, court session, which included 68 cases, it didn’t take long for Hatcher to ask some pointed questions.

A teen boy with 12 unexcused absences this year labeling him a habitual truant, said the allegations weren’t true. The boy interrupted the magistrate, his mother and Reist during his hearing, stating he had excuses and his mother had been calling in for him, handing over a wadded-up paper to Reist.

“It’s not true, I’ve been sicker than a dog,” the Hamilton student said. But the excuses, including that he had been in drug treatment, didn’t add up to the days he hadn’t shown up at school.

His mother also said she hadn’t placed all the calls to school officials. “I don’t know what to do. He has been on house arrest, restriction and done community service,” she said.

Hatcher told the young man to attend school, assessed a fine and told him a police escort could be arranged. “You want to ride to school in a cruiser, we’ll be happy to help,” Hatcher said. “Want to put your mother in jail, keep skipping school.”

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