By Steve White swhite@nebraska.tv
Some Nebraska parents are fighting a new state law, saying truancy rules take away their rights.
Kids can't learn if they're skipping school. So the state in recent years has beefed up mandatory attendance requirements with consequences for parents.
Grand Island has been a model for State Senators like Brad Ashford of Omaha who believes keeping kids in school keeps them out of trouble.
During a recent visit to Grand Island Ashford praised Hall County Attorney Mark Young for his partnership with the school district to create the so-called "attendance court."
"They literally have taken absenteeism and dropped it to levels that it almost doesn't exist," Ashford said.
According to the Nebraska State Education Association, during the 2009 – 2010 school year, nearly 22,000 Nebraska students missed more than 20 days of school. And kids who missed the most school scored lower on statewide assessments.
Some parents want to repeal the new law. They say it gives prosecutors broad new powers and makes criminals out of good families with legitimate reasons for their children to be out of school.
The Nebraska Family Forum writes on its blog, "This provided the state with further power over family life... This combined with the broad
prosecutorial power the county attorney has to prosecute at any stage of
the process is used as a "hammer"... to press parents to enter the 'family service agreements' set
up by these agencies or face prosecution and possible removal of their
child from their home."
Lawmakers will take public testimony at the state capitol during committee hearings Monday morning on amending the law.
