The Dodge County Attorney’s Office announced today that it will begin filing charges against parents who violate Nebraska’s mandatory school attendance laws when their child accumulates 20 absences.
Parents will be required to attend court and explain why they are not getting their child to school. Mediation, diversion services and other community resources will be offered to help parents come up with solutions for the truancy problem. Similar services may also be provided to high school students.
In a press release, Dodge County Attorney Pam Hopkins said the number of children considered truant from school has reached an all-time high in the county. She notes that in the past, truancy response focused primarily on the child. However, that approach has been widely ineffective, expensive and generally fails to hold parents accountable for their inability or refusal to get their child to school.
“Our hope is that parents will understand that they are responsible for getting their children to school, first and foremost, and that our office will expect them to take this responsibility seriously,” Hopkins said.
