Ask the Judge: More on HB350
By Judge Steve Walker
With all the negative news out of the 82nd Legislature in education budget cuts, there are tidbits of positive news. In a previous column I cursorily touched on HB350
The Legislators passed HB350 that will allow Justices of the Peace to substitute mandatory tutoring or community service in lieu of paying fines if they are not able to come up with the money to pay those fines. The law is a “May” not “Shall” law that gives judges greater discretion assessing the disposition of unruly or truant students. Community Service is still in play as part of probation and tutoring can now substitute for community service as well.
HB350 reads in part: “You may require these defendants to discharge their fines/costs via community service or tutoring program.” My preference of choice is tutoring.
As a Justice of the Peace I now have an additional tool to address the problem of escalating truancy, disorderly students and the dropout rate.
In the past month I have overseen two heavy all-day long truancy dockets with truants and attendance officers from SAISD who stood before my bench reading the litany of missing days that each student failed to attend class. The dockets were in reference to last school year’s offenses.
Two of the attendance officers in the courtroom taught with me years ago in the Harlandale School District. Working off the same page, we assessed a minimum of 8 hours tutoring for each student. Those students who racked up large numbers of absences were assigned additional tutoring hours.
One of the truant students after the first heavy docket was overheard to say in the hallway “I expected community service. But this is better and I can do this.”
Jefferson High School Principal Joann Cockrell, has instituted tutoring classes four days a week from 4:30-5:30 p.m. She has made it clear to me that she doesn’t consider tutoring a punishment but a means to get students back on track, better prepared for graduation and a diploma in hand. I concur.
Together I believe Miss Cockrell and I will be able to make a major impact on her campus in reducing truancy and turning it around. Together we are committed to decreasing the truancy rate at Jefferson High School with the new tool the legislature handed to us. That applies for all the schools in Precinct 2 jurisdiction.
Despite our challenges, with the welcome addition of tutoring, let’s hope in this upcoming school year we will continue to improve the test scores and ensure our next generation of students a chance for a better life.
Lastly as always, if you are due in court, be sure to show up to court on time. It is in everyone’s best interest.
Justice of the Peace, Pct. 2 Steve Walker is a Vietnam Veteran and a former Journalist.
By Judge Steve Walker
With all the negative news out of the 82nd Legislature in education budget cuts, there are tidbits of positive news. In a previous column I cursorily touched on HB350
The Legislators passed HB350 that will allow Justices of the Peace to substitute mandatory tutoring or community service in lieu of paying fines if they are not able to come up with the money to pay those fines. The law is a “May” not “Shall” law that gives judges greater discretion assessing the disposition of unruly or truant students. Community Service is still in play as part of probation and tutoring can now substitute for community service as well.
HB350 reads in part: “You may require these defendants to discharge their fines/costs via community service or tutoring program.” My preference of choice is tutoring.
As a Justice of the Peace I now have an additional tool to address the problem of escalating truancy, disorderly students and the dropout rate.
In the past month I have overseen two heavy all-day long truancy dockets with truants and attendance officers from SAISD who stood before my bench reading the litany of missing days that each student failed to attend class. The dockets were in reference to last school year’s offenses.
Two of the attendance officers in the courtroom taught with me years ago in the Harlandale School District. Working off the same page, we assessed a minimum of 8 hours tutoring for each student. Those students who racked up large numbers of absences were assigned additional tutoring hours.
One of the truant students after the first heavy docket was overheard to say in the hallway “I expected community service. But this is better and I can do this.”
Jefferson High School Principal Joann Cockrell, has instituted tutoring classes four days a week from 4:30-5:30 p.m. She has made it clear to me that she doesn’t consider tutoring a punishment but a means to get students back on track, better prepared for graduation and a diploma in hand. I concur.
Together I believe Miss Cockrell and I will be able to make a major impact on her campus in reducing truancy and turning it around. Together we are committed to decreasing the truancy rate at Jefferson High School with the new tool the legislature handed to us. That applies for all the schools in Precinct 2 jurisdiction.
Despite our challenges, with the welcome addition of tutoring, let’s hope in this upcoming school year we will continue to improve the test scores and ensure our next generation of students a chance for a better life.
Lastly as always, if you are due in court, be sure to show up to court on time. It is in everyone’s best interest.
Justice of the Peace, Pct. 2 Steve Walker is a Vietnam Veteran and a former Journalist.
Good job, Judge. Thanks for working with Principal Cockrell to improve Jefferson!! And Happy Birthday!!
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