Truancy
Los Angeles Juvenile Courts Will Dismiss Curfew Tickets for Students on Their Way to School
Los Angeles' top judge for juvenile courts has released new guidelines to eliminate fines and unnecessary court time for students receiving truancy / tardy tickets. The court will also direct students who miss school to school- and community-based resources that are shown to improve academic achievement and get struggling students back on track. This is a major step toward CRC's goal of rolling back truancy and tardy ticketing that targets low-income students of color.
Los Angeles Juvenile Courts Will Dismiss Curfew Tickets for Students on Their Way to School
LOS ANGELES - Students with tickets for being late to school faced hundreds of dollars in fines and were forced to miss more school time to appear in court.
Now Los Angeles' top judge for juvenile courts has released new guidelines to eliminate fines and unnecessary court time for students who were late to school and for other minor offenses. The court will also direct students who miss school to school- and community-based resources that are shown to improve academic achievement and get struggling students back on track.
Addressing the root causes of chronic absences and truancy
Publication Date:
Sep 16 2011
Students bring demands to the Truancy Task Force
In Los Angeles County, during the years of 2005 to 2009, there were over 47,000 youth cited under the "Daytime Curfew Law" Municipal Code 45.04. 88% of the youth cited were Black and Latino students yet they only made up 74% of the school age population. For the first time, Community Rights brought together students, their families and administrators to hear the private impact of the ongoing criminalization of tardiness and truancy.
Problems of the Los Angeles Daytime Curfew Law
by Lisa Adler
Why were 12,000 students fined up to $250 each just for being late or away from school in 2008? We surveyed approximately 1,400 students and parents, held several focus groups, researched the citation process, and consulted with educational justice and civil rights organizations around the country.
