Union County commissioners approve first reading of county truancy ordinance “2024-01”
By Garrett Christensen on Thursday, October 3rd, 2024 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
UNION COUNTY – During a meeting on October 2, 2024, the Union County Board of Commissioners officially approved the first reading of Ordinance 2024-01, “In the matter of an ordinance implementing measures to reduce incidents of truancy from Union County public schools and declaring an emergency.”
The measure was drafted in collaboration between the Union County commissioners, Union County District Attorney’ Kelsie McDaniel, Union County Sheriff Cody Bowen, and the superintendents of all Union County school districts, with approval/consent for the ordinance’s creation given by Union County’s various city councils. If approved, the ordinance would, in brief, give law enforcement and school officials additional authority to issue citations for chronically absent students and provide further options for students and families of students to rectify chronically absent behavior. Section 4 of the measure specifically describes prohibited conduct as:
“(1) Except as otherwise provided herein, Students are required to attend School
regularly. It is unlawful for a Student to be Chronically Absent from School as
described in this ordinance.
(2) Every Responsible Adult having the custody or care of a Student shall make
every reasonable effort to assist the Student to comply with this ordinance, and
shall send the Student to School and maintain the Student in School so that the
Student is not Chronically Absent.
(3) This ordinance does not limit or supersede any provisions of Oregon law, which
exempts certain children from compulsory school attendance (ORS 339.030);
neither does this ordinance limit the duties, powers and responsibilities of public
school Officials.”
Section 1, subsection 3, of the measure also clarifies that, “This ordinance does not apply to students attending private schools located within Union County.”
During the October 2 meeting, Kelsie McDaniel told commissioners that punitive actions are intended to be limited, and that the goal is to use the new measure more as a tool to encourage attendance rather than strictly punish absentees and their families/guardians.
A public comment period was open during the reading, though no comments were given by anyone in attendance. A second reading for the measure is scheduled for Wednesday, October 16 at 9:15 a.m. in the Commissioner’s Annex Conference Room, 1106 K Avene, La Grande.
The measure can be read in full at: https://unioncountyor.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/ORD-2024-01-Truancy-in-Public-Schools.pdf
