I’m not sure a $500 fine is going to impress the single moms. Maybe debiting their EBT cards, but the ticket is just going in the round file. I mean, what is the city going to do? Arrest mom? Seize her assets? Take the kid away?
Just another feel good, useless ordinance.
Several years ago we had a school truancy program run in a couple of the districts in the Houston suburban schools. It was strongly supported by the JP’s. If a student missed more than an allotted number of days, the parents were hauled in front of the JP. Several received substantial fines, many were referred for mandated weekly family counseling and some parents spent a few nights in jail. Attendance did improve and some families managed to get their act together. Unfortunately, the program was scuttled after two years due to a lack of financial support. But that was back when kids actually had a male father and a female mother.