DEPARTMENT: Municipal Courts
DEPARTMENT HEAD: John Bull, Presiding Judge
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: City Wide
SUBJECT:
An ordinance authorizing the approval of Addendum A-11 to the Master Interlocal Agreement between the City of San Antonio and Bexar County establishing a Uniform Truancy Case Management Program.
SUMMARY:
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Truancy limits students' educational opportunities, increases the likelihood of students engaging in harmful behavior, and reduces the amount of funding that local school districts receive through the state school finance system. In Bexar County, efforts to address truancy are complicated by the large number of local jurisdictions, disparate filing methods, and a high level of student mobility between school districts. Over fifteen independent school districts file truancy cases using different approaches. Districts may choose to file a case with any one of six justices of the peace or with the Municipal Court.
HB 1479, passed by the 83rd Texas Legislature, established the City of San Antonio/Bexar County Joint Committee on Truancy ("Truancy Committee") to make recommendations for uniform and effective truancy policies throughout Bexar County. The Truancy Committee recommends the inclusion of addendum A-11 to the Master Interlocal Agreement between the City of San Antonio and Bexar County.
Addendum A-11 was passed unanimously by the Bexar County Commissioners Court on April 29, 2014.
ISSUE:
Addendum A-11 would establish a uniform truancy case management program to include centralized filing for offenses brought under Sections 25.094, Texas Education Code (Failure to Attend School) and Section 25.093, Texas Education Code (Parent Contributing to Nonattendance).
The addendum also outlines that funds collected pursuant to Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Arts. 102.0174 and 102.015 will continue to be collected with the County's total consideration for the City's administration of the Juvenile Case Management Program.
Finally, the addendum states that the City's Municipal Court Presiding Judge will administer the uniform case management program and assign judges from the County's Justices of the Peace designated by the County and the City's municipal court judges using guidelines established as part of the program.
ALTERNATIVES:
An alternative to approving this action would be for the Council to take no action. Taking no action would result in the continuation of problems discussed above, which would negatively affect the financial resources available to school districts within the City and County. Taking no action would also result in the continuation of problems with disparate and ineffective truancy procedures, and negatively affect students in the City and County.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact to the general fund. Funds to administer this program will come from existing and future revenues from the Municipal Court's Juvenile Case Manager Fund and the Bexar County Juvenile Case Manager Fund.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approving an ordinance, which approves the inclusion of Addendum A-11 to the Master Interlocal Agreement between the City of San Antonio and Bexar County to establish a Uniform Truancy Case Management Program.