City to fine students up to $500 for cutting class
When I was in high school and, um, mismanaged my course schedule, there was a robocaller that dialled home just as my family sat for dinner.
The idea: rat me out. The attendance system at school noticed my absence, and placed an automatic call to home so my parents would be well aware of my truancy.
Of course, this led to what every student should master, the Three-Pronged “Deny, Deny, Deny” Defence, but the point is, stiffer penalties could be had for kids skipping class.
Like, maybe, this.
Remarkably, Concord, Calif., City Council members passed a radical policy last night that will result in fining teenagers that cut school.
The mayor of Concord, which has reportedly faced problems with absentee students, said the city has been the victim of vandalism and general mischief with high truancy rates.
Neighbouring towns in the Bay Area have experimented with daytime curfews during the school year, a local ABC affiliate notes, and a reduction in absenteeism has resulted.
But Concord will take it one step further. After a general warning, students will be fined up to $100 for the first truancy offence, up to $200 for the second and up to $500 for the third. It will now be illegal for any child under 18 to be found out of school during the day without a valid excuse.
Where a high school student is to come up with $500 isn’t mentioned, nor are proposed penalties for what happens if kids don’t pay.
Yet what’s most glaring here is the lack of what this story may all be about, which is finding another revenue stream for a cash-strapped school board.
Fining students might be awfully good way to drum up some extra money, and just look, people everywhere are having to get creative during tough times: the CBC might be making cuts, and another California city is considering a cat tax – charging $25 to register each San Diego feline, as a means of “cost recovery” for taxpayers.
Charging truant students: good idea or way overboard?
By Jason Buckland, MSN Money
Posted by: Chuck | Jul 14, 2021 10:27:06 AM
The larger the earth's population becomes - the more insanity will follow us.
Posted by: Chip | Jul 15, 2021 12:42:04 PM
Now the students will have to cut classes... in order to get a job... in order to pay for the truancy fines ??? What ever happened to freedom, human and civil rights ??? Will the Concord city council waste taxpayers dollars to try to win a case or two in court. Those municipal lawyers will get their teeth handed to them on a plate. And the idiocy circle goes round and round.
Posted by: Russ Rowe | Jul 17, 2021 4:12:56 PM
Look, another city council thinks it has found another lucarative cash cow. What are they going to do when the kid and their family have no money to pay? Go to jail? I can see 50 or 60 kids puposely rack the fines up and show up at the local city jail with the whole world press watching and the lawyers just itching to make some money....... total insanity.
Posted by: shredder | Jul 17, 2021 4:45:50 PM
Let me get this straight:
Parents pay taxes so their kids can attend school, and now the City Council, NOT the school board (unless they're one and the same, which is possible although I doubt it) wants to fine (ie tax) kids who don't show up???
Talk about a cash cow!!!
Where are teenagers going to get $100 to $500 to pay these "fines"? Who's going to keep track and administer this - which is likely to cost a helluva lot more than they'll ever get out of it in fines?? Give me a break, and give Concord City Council some common sense.
Posted by: psycho killer | Jul 17, 2021 8:52:31 PM
So, the assimulation begins, the psychological control the education system gives the powers that be, the unsurmountable control over everyone. And you people just keep voting and voting, like you're actually participating in making this a better world LMAO. Everytime you vote, you're saying to the public that, " I don't have the ability to speak for myself, I need an elected official to speak for me". They spend their days making laws and bills, all of which usually comes with fines, the more infractions, the more revenue, the more likely the powers that be can vote themselves a 20% raise.I don't want anybody speaking for me thanks.
Posted by: Dirt | Jul 17, 2021 9:30:31 PM
You vote or not , they re gonna speak , and not for you nor I