A truancy program that coordinates schools, the city court and police is paying off in keeping students in schools.
Lt. Stephanie Myers, of the Eunice Police Department, said the Eunice program is in its fifth year.
“This year and last year we pretty much mastered this at the expense of some parents ...” she said at Thursday’s Eunice Kiwanis Club meeting.
“Our goal is to have these children have an education. We want them to be in school. We want them off the roads and not getting into trouble,” she said.
The program is so successful it is used as model throughout the parish. The partnership between Eunice schools, police and the city court is often cited at St. Landry Parish School Board meetings as one of the school attendance success stories.
The alarm bell about truancy went off in 2015 when the new city judge, Terry Hoychick, found about 200 people in his court on truancy cases, Myers said.
Public schools are required to report truancy cases to the district attorney. The problem was the cases ended up clustered at the end of the school year.
Hoychick and Police Chief Randy Fontenot, a former juvenile officer, got together to work on a system stop the problem before there are 200 parents in court on one day.
The system starts with principals making contact with parents of absent or tardy students.
Three unexcused absences or tardies triggers a meeting with the principal and parents. Five of those defines the behavior as habitual and results in Myers getting involved.
Myers said she will try to resolve unexcused absences or tardies. For instance, if a student is sick one or two days the parent can be the source of an excused absence. However, if the student is sick a third day a doctor’s excuse is required.
If the problem persists parents can face a misdemeanor summons, which is like a traffic ticket. Unresolved the parents may face an arrest warrant as determined by the judge.
The goal is to keep students in school, she said.
There are some schools with daily attendance issues. And, the beginning of the school year represents a steep learning curve for some parents.
Last month she made 11 arrests. She’s arrested one parent two times.
Parents can find themselves in jail, but the first sentences are usually community service, she said.
By the end of the school year, the issues are significantly lower, she said.
