Woman's arraignment in child truancy case set for Monday

A Cape Girardeau woman accused of a rare offense in Cape Girardeau, educational neglect, is scheduled for arraignment Monday.

Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle said Irma Barnes, of 319 N. Park Drive, Apt. 183, is charged with the misdemeanor offense, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 days in jail and a $300 fine if convicted.

Barnes allegedly kept her 13-year-old child out of public school for reasons that are unknown.

Swingle said most cases aren't prosecuted because parents or guardians can provide a legitimate reason why a child missed school.

According to the probable-cause statement, a Cape Girardeau truant officer was notified by Central Junior High School that the Barnes child had missed school between Aug. 22 and Oct. 19 for "no valid reason."

According to Randy Rhodes, juvenile projects director of the 32nd Judicial Circuit in Cape Girardeau, the case is significant because so few of them are prosecuted.

"It's a very low level crime per se," Rhodes said. "It's been very hard to get evidentiary evidence to get charges filed in these cases."

When a child has two unexcused absences from school, a visit from one of the agency's two truancy officers quickly resolves the problem in most cases with a visit to the home and a discussion with the parent about the legal requirements of keeping children in school until the age of 16 years, Rhodes said.

carel@semissourian.com

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