Brought to you by WBIW News and Network Indiana
Last updated on Wednesday, June 5, 2013
(BLOOMFIELD) - The mother of an Eastern Greene Elementary School third-grade student has been charged with two criminal counts connected with her child’s persistence attendance problems during the recently school year.
Autumn Minnick, who lives on South Workman Drive in Springville, has been served a summons to appear in Greene Circuit Court at 9 a.m. on June 12 to face charges of neglect of a dependent and compulsory school attendance violation.
According to the probable cause affidavit filed with the court, Minnick's child had on-going attendance issues throughout the 2012-13 school years.
Nick Schneider of the Greene County Daily World reports that Minnick was issued letters from Eastern School District's Student Advocate Callie Schlemmer on Oct. 23, 2012; Nov. 12, 2012; Nov. 30, 2012 and Dec. 12, 2012 that addressed her child's attendance problems.
On Dec. 14, 2012, Criger sent Minnick an educational neglect letter by certified mail from the prosecutor's office. At the time, her child had 11 unexcused absences and seven excused absences for the school year, which started in mid-August.
The letter informed Minnick that her child could have no more absences for the remainder of the year without a doctor's statement.
On March 20, the Greene County Department of Child Services and the prosecutor's office received notification concerning continued absence problems involving Minnick's child.
Criger and a DCS family caseworker met with Minnick at her residence and she was presented with another copy of an educational neglect letter, which she signed. At the meeting, Minnick was informed that her child had 20.5 days of unexcused absence for the school year.
The prosecutor's investigator received a copy of the child's mid-term report for the fourth quarter of the 2012-13 school year.
The child's teacher stated that the child's absences are "affecting his/her learning process." The child "doesn't want or won't try to do well and will be retained," according to the probable cause affidavit.
Another meeting was conducted on May 1 with school, DCS and prosecutor's office -- again talking about the continuing absences. Since an earlier meeting on March 20, the child accumulated nine more unexcused absences, one excused absence, and four tardies.
Conviction of a class D felony carries a possible jail term of up to three years and a fine up to $10,000, according to the probable cause affidavit.
1340 AM WBIW welcomes comments and suggestions by calling 812.277.1340 during normal business hours or by email at comments@wbiw.com
© Ad-Venture Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved.