Skipping school? Not so fast in Putnam County with community service, jail time

Aug 16, 2023

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Skipping school may seem like a tempting escape for some students, but the consequences could be more severe than they realize.

Putnam County Judge Steven Randolph has issued a stern warning to students and parents, highlighting that excessive unexcused absences may result in community service and even legal actions, including potential jail time for parents.

In a recently released video, Judge Randolph addressed the pressing issue of truancy, urging students to recognize the gravity of their actions.

He said that for each unexcused absence, students would be required to perform seven hours of community service at the local recycling center.

"They're going to spend Friday nights from 4 p.m. until 9 p.m. messing around with cardboard, milk jugs, tin cans, whatever they have at the recycling center," Randolph said.

Tami Crawford, a concerned grandparent, shared her own experience.

"My child had a few unexcused absences. We ended up having to deal with in-school suspension."

However, community service isn't the only concern.

Judge Randolph also alerted parents to the possibility of being incarcerated for up to 10 days at a time if their children accumulate repeated unexcused absences.

"That’s a big fear of mine. I don't want to spend any time in jail for my grandson not missing school," Crawford said.

To prevent such extreme measures, the school district is taking a proactive approach.

School officials vow to work closely with families whose children have more than five unexcused absences.

An intervention plan will be devised to encourage regular school attendance and keep students on track academically.

When a student is absent for five days without adequate justification, the Director of Schools will report the issue and notify the parent(s)/guardian(s) in writing. Parents will be given sufficient time to provide documentation for the absences or request an attendance hearing.

The district's aim is to resolve truancy concerns internally without the need for legal action.

"The more often we can have a child in front of us, the better we feel about it as far as our job of helping students," said Chris Pierce, the attendance and enrollment management supervisor.

Pierce emphasizes that their primary focus is to support students and ensure they are present in the classroom ready to learn.

In response to any confusion caused by the video message, Judge Randolph expressed regret but appreciated that it heightened awareness about the issue of truancy within the community.