Oranginafina t1_j993hj1 wrote on February 20, 2023 at 4:45 AM

Reply to comment by GhostOfRobertTreat in Newark Schools on Absenteeism Assist: Nah, We’re Good by madsheb

It might help deter parents who keep their kids home for no good reason. I’ve had kids tell me they missed school to get their hair done, because it was raining, or, my favorite, they had to go shopping with their mom because “she gets lonely when she goes alone”. On Friday I was told a kid stayed home because “he didn’t want to go to school”. He’s 7.

GhostOfRobertTreat t1_j993vct wrote on February 20, 2023 at 4:49 AM

That’s a good point. I just worry if fines are the best tool. What happens if the parents don’t pay the fines? We’re not going to jail them over a school debt, right? Send them to a debt collector? Does it end up destroying their credit which is probably already in bad shape? No easy solutions here.