The Centralia City Council has tabled a proposed truancy ordinance after Mayor Herb Williams expressed concern over the impact on the poor in the community.
Centralia Police Chief Greg Dodson told the council the ordinance sought compliance and not fines.
“With Covid and remote learning, Centralia City Schools have suffered an explosion in truancy. The Truancy Court System has more cases in it by about 5-10 fold than they have ever had and they are overwhelmed. So what we are looking for is another tool in our tool-box to try and get voluntary compliance. That is the absolute goal of this ordinance is just something to help us try and get voluntary compliance on the part of the parents to get their kids to participate like they are supposed to with remote learning or get them back into school.”
Dodson notes the two school resource officers are spending about half their time dealing with truancy issues and trying to get kids back in school. The ordinance would also require employers not to hire high school students during hours that school is in attendance.
Councilman David Sauer said he initially had concerns, but felt comfortable moving forward following a conversation with the chief.
“Law enforcement and the schools really only want this as an additional tool and once compliance is had they do not seek to impose fines as punishments. The discussion was getting kids back in school. That is the goal.”
Sauer said Judge Ericka Sanders indicated only a small number of people would be impacted, but Mayor Herb Williams felt it would hit at the poorest in the community who often cannot get their kids to go to school.
“When there is truancy, my feeling as an educator is there is a reason for that truancy. I think we should find out what that reason is for that truancy and go deeper into the reason instead of imposing fine. The second thing I saw with this truancy law in this particular fashion has been applied to several other cities throughout the state of Illinois and they have been repealed.”
Councilman Andre Marshall said he had similar concerns. With those comments, Sauer moved and Howard Jones seconded tabling the issue for further study.
