By Leslie Collins
Northeast News
March 21, 2012

Homeschoolers don’t want to be singled out due to a city ordinance.

That message became clear during the March 14 Public Safety and Emergency Services meeting where committee members discussed the option of adopting a city-wide daytime curfew ordinance.

“This is not a new concept across the country. This is not even a new concept within the greater Kansas City area,” Kansas City City Council member Scott Wagner said.

At least 100 cities across the country use a daytime curfew and both Independence, Mo., and Grain View, Mo., have already adopted similar ordinances, he said.

In addition to Kansas City Public Schools, North Kansas City, Liberty and the Hickman Mills school districts have voiced their support of a daytime curfew ordinance, he said.

The proposed ordinance would set a daytime curfew for youth ages seven to 16 and would commence 30 minutes after the school day starts and would end 30 minutes prior to the time school adjourns. Students found loitering or hanging out in public places unsupervised would be in violation of the daytime curfew. There are exceptions, like homeschooling, traveling to school functions, among others. However, if an officer located a student legitimately skipping school, parents/guardians would be contacted and the student would be returned to the parents/guardians, returned to school or be transported to a secure holding area until the parents/guardians arrived.

Wagner submitted a revised version of the ordinance to clarify the language as well as provide more options for consequences, including $100 fines for each offense, community service work or counseling.

“I’m against the ordinance because it limits our freedoms – not just as homeschoolers, but as citizens of the area,” Homeschooling parent Rose Gerringer told Northeast News.

Brad Haines, executive director of Families for Home Education, reflected her sentiments.

“Children have a right to be out in the middle of the day,” Haines said. “Being in public is not probable cause for a crime unless you pass this ordinance.”

Homeschooling requires 1,000 instruction hours per year, but only 600 hours must occur at the homeschooling site, he said. That means children will be on field trips or playing outside for recess. Haines also alleged that homeschooling families have been singled out and harassed in both Independence and Grain Valley.

Eric Webster, whose family homeschools five children, said the ordinance would infringe upon their personal liberties. Webster’s 16-year-old daughter attends Penn Valley Community College and Webster voiced concern over what would happen once she stepped off campus during the school day. Another parent worried his son would no longer be free to skateboard in the neighborhood without being stopped by police. Daryl Brown questioned what would happen to 17 and 18-year-olds in public without ID who look like they’re 15 years old.

Both Indian Mound President Katie Greer and Pendleton Heights resident Billie Robleado testified in support of the ordinance, as well as the principal of Ruskin High School.

For the Kansas City Public Schools, having a daytime curfew ordinance would provide another tool in addressing the district’s truancy issues and assist with regaining accreditation. One of the state standards KCPS failed to meet was attendance.

“Attendance is one area where we took a large hit,” KCPS Board of Education member Crispin Rea said. “As we move to regain accreditation, we need to do everything we possibly can to improve our attendance. The truancy issue is essential to that.”

Committee members continued to voice an array of concerns regarding the ordinance and voted to hold the ordinance in committee for another week. Committee member Michael Brooks said too many factors made it “difficult to support this wholeheartedly.”