Section 118.163(2), Wis. Stats., authorizes the Village of Shorewood
to adopt a municipal truancy ordinance based on Juvenile Code §§ 938.17(2)(a),
(d) and (g) and 48.432, Wis. Stats. Section 938.17(2)(a)1, Wis. Stats., further
authorizes the Municipal Court to exercise jurisdiction in proceedings for
a violation of an ordinance enacted under § 118.163(2), Wis. Stats.,
and impose additional alternative dispositions, regardless of the student's
age and regardless of whether the court assigned to exercise jurisdiction
under Chs. 938 and 48 has jurisdiction under § 938.13(6), Wis. Stats.
For the purpose of this chapter, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
ACT OF COMMISSION OR OMISSION
Anything that contributes to the truancy of a student, whether or
not the student is adjudged to be in need of protection or services, if the
natural and probable consequences of that act would be to cause the student
to be truant.
HABITUAL TRUANT
A student who is absent from school without an acceptable excuse
for part or all of five or more days on which school is held during a school
semester.
TRUANCY
Any absence of part or all of one or more days from school during
which the school attendance officer, principal or teacher has not been notified
of the legal cause of such absence by the parent or guardian of the absent
student; intermittent attendance carried on for the purpose of defeating the
intent of § 118.15, Wis. Stats., shall also be considered truancy.
Any person attending or required to attend school in the Village of
Shorewood between the ages of six and 18 years, subject to the exceptions
found under § 118.15, Wis. Stats., is prohibited from becoming a
habitual truant as the term is defined in this chapter. Any police officer
in this Village is authorized to issue a citation to any such person who is
determined to be a habitual truant under the terms of this chapter.
A. Preconditions to issuance of citation. Prior to the issuance
of any citation, the Shorewood District School Attendance Officer shall provide
evidence to the Shorewood Police Department that appropriate school personnel
in the school in which the student is enrolled have within the school year
during which the truancy occurred:
(1) Met with the child's parent or guardian to discuss the
child's truancy or attempted to meet with the child's parent or guardian and
received no response or were refused.
(2) Provided an opportunity for educational counseling to
the student and considered curriculum modifications.
(3) Evaluated the student to determine whether learning problems
are the cause of the truancy and, if so, taken steps to overcome the learning
problems.
(4) Conducted an evaluation to determine whether social problems
are the cause of the student's truancy and, if so, taken appropriate action
or made appropriate referrals.
B. Form of citation. Any citation issued shall be returnable
in the Shorewood Municipal Court in the same manner as all other ordinance
citations are returnable. The citation is to state on its face that this is
a "must appear" citation, and no forfeiture amount is to be written on the
face of the citation.
Upon finding the student habitually truant, the Shorewood Municipal
Court shall enter an order making one or more of the following dispositions:
A. Suspension of operating privileges. Suspend the student's
operating privilege as defined in § 340.01(40), Wis. Stats., for
not less than 30 days nor more than one year. The Court shall immediately
take possession of the suspended license and forward it to the Department
of Transportation of the State of Wisconsin, together with a notice setting
forth the reason for and the duration of the suspension.
B. Counseling, service or work program. Order the student
to participate in counseling, a supervised work program or other community
service work under § 938.34(5g), Wis. Stats. The costs of any such
counseling, supervised work program or other community service may be assessed
against the student, the parents or guardian of the student, or both.
C. In-house restraint. Order the student to remain at home
except for the hours in which the student is attending religious worship or
a school program, including travel time required to get to and from the school
program or place of worship. The order may permit the student to leave the
home if the student is accompanied by a parent or guardian.
D. Educational program. Order the student to attend an educational
program as described in § 938.34(7d), Wis. Stats.
E. Employment permit revocation. Order the Department of
Workforce Development to revoke, under § 103.72, Wis. Stats., a
permit under § 103.70, Wis. Stats., authorizing the employment of
the student.
F. Teen court program. Order the student to be placed in
a teen court program if all of the following conditions apply:
(1) The chief judge of the judicial administrative district
has approved a teen court program established in the student's county of residence
and the judge determines that participation in the teen court program will
likely benefit the student and the community.
(2) The student admits or pleads no contest in open court,
with the student's parent, guardian or legal custodian present, to the allegations
that the student violated the municipal ordinance enacted under § 118.163(2),
Wis. Stats.
(3) The student has not successfully completed participation
in a teen court program during the two years before the date of the alleged
municipal ordinance violation.
G. Order to attend school. An order for the student to attend
school.
H. Forfeiture. A forfeiture of not more than $500 plus costs,
subject to § 938.37, Wis. Stats. All or part of the forfeiture may
be assessed against the student, the parents or guardian of the student, or
both.
I. Condition. Any other reasonable conditions consistent
with this section, including a curfew, restrictions as to going to or remaining
on specified premises and restrictions on associating with other children
or adults.
J. Supervision. Any order placing the student under formal
or informal supervision, as described in § 938.34(2), Wis. Stats.,
for up to one year.
K. Parental counseling.
(1) An order for the student's parents, guardian, or legal
custodian to participate in counseling at the parents', guardian's or legal
custodian's expense or to attend school with the student, or both.
(2) No order to any person under Subsection
K(1). may be entered until the person is given an opportunity to be heard on the contemplated order of the Court. The Court shall cause notice of the time, place and purpose of the hearing to be served on the person personally at least 10 days before the date of the hearing. The procedure in these cases shall, as far as practicable, be the same as in other cases to the Court. At the hearing, the person may be represented by counsel and may produce and cross-examine witnesses. Any person who fails to comply with any order issued by a Court under Subsection A(1) may be proceeded against for contempt of court.
References to specific statutory sections whenever used in this chapter
shall mean the Wisconsin Statutes as from time to time may be amended, modified,
repealed or otherwise altered by the State Legislature.
Any person who shall be found guilty of violating any of the provisions of §
485-5 or
485-6 for which a specific penalty is not provided shall, upon conviction thereof, be subject to a forfeiture of not less than $50 nor more than $2,000, together with the cost of prosecution for each offense, and in default of the payment of such forfeiture and costs shall be imprisoned in the county jail of Milwaukee County until said forfeiture and costs together with subsequent costs are paid, but in no event more than 90 days. Each day a violation continues shall constitute a separate offense.