Prosecutor’s office files truancy charges (copy)

By Marcus Clem

A series of criminal complaints is on file in Buchanan County involving households with children who allegedly failed to attend school on a chronic basis.

The charges against Holli C. Park, Brittany L. Sipes, Deanna A. Meyer, Crystal R. Clark, Ashley R. Denney, Rosaland N. Simmons and Vickie L. Crutchfield come after months of warnings from the St. Joseph School District starting in August that an attendance crackdown was imminent. The district recently recorded a 72.59% rate of satisfactory attendance for the month of December 2023 alone. The cumulative rate of attendance, which takes every classroom hour done thus far into consideration, was 80.7%.

The district has an attendance goal of 90% or higher for all students. Attendance problems can arise from consistently showing up late or leaving early, but given that there are about 170 class days total in the 2023-24 school year, failing to make the 90% mark means a student would have to miss the equivalent of at least 17 class days, according to Assistant Superintendent Ashly McGinnis.

“This year, the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office hired a Diversion Officer to assist us in addressing chronic absenteeism of our students,” McGinnis said. “The results of this continued partnership include letters to parents from the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office about Missouri Compulsory Attendance Law, diversion program agreements and some charges filed. We do not want to pursue these avenues, we simply need kids in school.”

Court documents show that each of the defendants previously went through a diversion program, in which they were given a chance to correct a pattern of non-attendance involving their child.

“I believe the defendant will not appear in court in response to criminal summons because: The defendant has failed to keep the school (district) informed of updated address and phone numbers, and all forms of communication with her are exhausted,” a diversion officer wrote in the case involving Park.

None of the defendants have been jailed at this time, with authorities electing to visit each of them in recent days and serve papers detailing what they are charged with. In each instance, this is a single alleged Class C misdemeanor: violation of education requirement for a child. Such a violation can result in up to 15 days in jail and a fine of up to $750, according to Prosecuting Attorney Michelle Davidson. Some of the defendants have received March court dates.

In light of the district’s goal of 90%, Park’s 9-year-old child recorded an attendance rate of just 52.32%, meaning the child was present for roughly 5 in every 10 of their scheduled classroom hours during the current 2023-24 school year. Simmons’ 9-year-old child came to class 63.55% of the time. Meyer’s 11-year-old child attended at a rate of 71.15%.

Denney’s 7-year-old child was present for 72.35% of the time they were supposed to be at school. Crutchfield’s 9-year-old child was present for 73.05% of their class time. Clark’s 12-year-old child showed up at their middle school at a rate of 74.04%. Sipes’ 10-year-old child attended at a rate of 77.48% and her 7-year-old child attended at a rate of 80.67%.

In general, it is up to school authorities to decide when a child has stopped attending at a rate that is acceptable, to the point where law enforcement authorities should be involved. The district has employees called attendance interventionists to help parents with situations like their child missing the school bus.