Student absenteeism is something Mountain View School Division works hard to prevent.
Fines can be issued, under the Public Schools Act, if a student chooses not to come to school on a regular basis.
Donna Davidson, MVSD Superintendent CEO, explains the possible fines for parents:
“If it’s an ongoing concern, yes, in the Public Schools Act, it says a parent or legal guardian of a child, who is of compulsory school age, must ensure that their child attends and, if they don’t, they are guilty of an offence, and the offence is a fine. We have yet to have issued a fine. You go through the courts; the letters go to our lawyers, then our lawyers issue them to the families.”
Students 16 to 18 years of age can face a fine, instead of the parents, should they deliberately choose not to go to school.