With overwhelming testimony against posting a daytime curfew for truant students in Kansas City, a City Council committee put the issue on hold as well as a watered down substitute.
There was a barrage of sentiment against any kind curfew.
The measure under debate removed mention of a day curfew, yet held parents responsible if their children were out in public during school hours. The measure also lowered parents’ penalties. The entire issue arose from children skipping school, often involved in criminal activity.
The weight of opposition came from dozens of families who do home schooling. Katrina Trast said she has several children able to be in public during regular school hours--“they’re not truant, they’re not loitering, they deserve to be free from intimidation or interrogation by law enforcement, and they certainly don’t deserve to be kept in police custody.”
Refusing to vote the measure out to a full City Council vote, Councilman Michael Brooks said the Kansas City School District needs to show its partnership by rehiring laid-off truant officers. The measure might be refined before it appears next for debate after four weeks.