Photo by Mr. T in DC

Lots of D.C. public school students are regularly truant, so much so that last year D.C. Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson said that the city was experiencing a truancy crisis. According to her, at least 40 percent of students at some high schools across the city missed more than a month of school during the 2011-2012 school year. Now one D.C. legislator wants to do something about it.

Councilmember David Catania (I-At Large) yesterday introduced legislation which would penalize parents if their child misses more than 10 days of school a year without an excuse. Under his proposal, once a child hits that threshold, the school system would have to notify that Office of the State Superintendent of Education, the Attorney General and the Child and Family Services Agency, which would then be charged with letting parents know and investigating the cause of the absences.

Charges could then be brought against the parents, resulting in mandatory parenting classes, community service and later fines of up to $100 per offense and five days worth of jail time. Additionally, the bill would change existing law to mandate that the Attorney General prosecute parents whose kids have missed 20 days of school without an excuse; current law only says that the Attorney General is permitted to do so, though not required.

Though the law does allow an affirmative defense for the missed school days, it will certainly provoke debate over how strict the city should be about enforcing school attendance and the difficulties some families might have in ensuring that their kids go to school. Still, Catania insisted that the point wasn’t so much the punishment as much as it is getting parents to realize what their responsibilities are.

“This bill is not intended to put parents or guardians in jail. It’s intended to get their attention,” he said, according to the Post.