Tougher attendance policy working, Cape Girardeau school officials say

His mother is facing jail time for the school days he's missed. Now Brandon Hager will sit the rest of the semester out, suspended from the Cape Girardeau Alternative Education Center.

Susan Hager, 43, 1413 William St., is scheduled to make her initial court appearance at 1 p.m. Dec. 20 on charges of educational neglect, or violating the compulsory school attendance law. She faces up to 15 days in jail, a $300 fine and the possibility of probation of up to two years on the misdemeanor charge.

Hager is the first parent to be charged under the Cape Girardeau School District's beefed-up attendance policy, a policy school administrators and a prosecutor say is making a significant difference in getting children to school.

School records show Hager's 15-year-old son had 15 unexcused absences between Aug. 20 and Oct. 26, according to the probable-cause statement filed by the prosecuting attorney's office. The Southeast Missourian attempted to interview the woman Monday afternoon, but she was not at home. Her son, Brandon, was.

Standing shirtless in the doorway, Brandon Hager said he was suspended for throwing a cell phone at the Alternative Education Center. He said he was trying to get kicked out, in part because he thinks the attendance policy is "stupid." Most of his absences were health-related, he said.

When asked what would happen if his mother has to go to jail, he said: "She'll get fired, and my sister [who is 19] and I will have to live by ourselves."

When asked if he feels bad about the punishment his mother faces, Brandon said: "That's a definite."

Julia Koester, Cape Girardeau County assistant prosecuting attorney, said Susan Hager is the only parent to be charged so far under the stricter attendance policy, although several others have received warning letters from the prosecuting attorney's office.

"I think it's getting the message out there," Koester said of the policy.

Per the policy, which makes 10 unexcused absences an actionable offense, the prosecuting attorney's office sent Hager a hand-delivered warning letter Oct. 19, giving final warning that she would be prosecuted if the child continued to miss school.

"Even after receiving the letter, the defendant has still failed to make sure the child attends school," according to the probable-cause statement.

Carla Fee, principal at the Alternative Education Center, said the tougher policy has served as a wake-up call, especially at the elementary school level. Fee, who also serves as At-Risk coordinator for the district, said incidents of parents taking their children to school late have gone down considerably.

"We're seeing more students present and more students at school on time," said Rhonda Dunham, principal of Franklin Elementary School. "That was our biggest thing, kids coming late for a variety of reasons."

Improving attendance, district officials say, is critical in the campaign to raise the high school graduation rate to 90 percent by 2013. The rate was 73 percent last school year, up slightly from the previous year but down from 80.9 percent in 2006, according to state statistics.

Contrary to some public misconceptions, Fee said, the district's attendance policy does not punish parents for their children's health-related absences, provided those missed days are verified through a physician. She said the schools try to work with parents when there is a chronic health issue.

"The last thing we want to do is charge a parent," Fee said. "We just want their kids in school."

mkittle@semissourian.com

388-3627

Pertinent address:

301 N. Clark Ave., Cape Girardeau MO