FEEDBACK GOOD ON FINES FOR PARENTS OF TRUANTS.

Byline: James J. Rodriguez Daily News Staff Writer

City officials are wrapping up a series of meetings with parents of junior high and high school students, seeking their input on an ordinance that would hold the adults responsible if their children are truant.

Over the past couple of weeks, city officials have been educating parents about the proposed ordinance that would require them to take part in a parenting program or pay fines up to $250.

"We are getting good feedback," said Kevin Tonoian, the city's public works administrative analyst. "We have gotten nothing but a positive response from administrators and parents. Everybody seems to be real receptive to this idea."

The next meeting is tonight at Canyon High School. The last meeting will be Thursday at Hart High School. City officials said parents wanting information or times should call the city or schools.

The talks are focusing on two programs currently being studied by the city: the parental responsibility ordinance and the truancy enforcement program.

The ordinance would charge adults with failing to supervise a minor. The first couple of offenses would require adults to attend a workshop. Repeat offenses would hand down a fine, city officials said.

Under the truancy enforcement program, sheriff's deputies would question teen-agers spotted in public places during school hours.

Parents who have attended the workshops said they would like the ordinance to cover private property including private homes should a student stay home from school without permission.

"The concern that has been raised at each meeting is can this ordinance reach the children who are staying home," Tonoian said. "At this time it can't. But if a minor who was at home was to go out across the street to the store or to the local McDonald's, it could."

Hart Union High School District Superintendent Bob Lee said administrators support the proposals. Until now, he said cracking down on irresponsible parents was time consuming and included a voluminous amount of paperwork.

"Now there will be more monitoring," Lee said. "With the ordinance, it's going to pull the parent into a legal situation much sooner and put a greater amount of accountability on the parent."

Lee said although the district doesn't have a high truancy rate, he said the ordinance would help.

"I have to believe with law enforcement watching them and parents being pulled in, we will be able to reduce our truancies and make the community a safer place to be," Lee said.