LETTER: Gillett approach to misbehavior is better

To the editor:

I read the article about the Gillett School Board meeting, in your March 24 Oconto County Times Herald, with interest and applause. The statement by Gillett’s Secondary School Principal Shawn Limberg that “the way we do school does not work for some students” made public something we all knew but rarely say out loud. The idea that skills, learned in places other than the classroom, should count as credits toward high school graduation is refreshing. More carrot, less stick.

I would like to contrast this with the new ordinance, 02023-03-02 under Chapter 19 – Offenses against Public Peace and Safety, approved by the Oconto County Board on March 23. This ordinance is seven pages and has several sections.

Section 19.1500 [Truancy] describes a “dropout” as a child who ceased attending school, a “truant” as a pupil who is absent from school without an acceptable excuse, and a “habitual truant” as a pupil who is absent all or part of five or more days during a semester. The forfeiture for being one of these is: $50 plus court costs for the first violation and $100 for each subsequent violation up to a max of $500 per semester, and these forfeiture cost may be assessed against the parents or guardians.

If a “dropout” has a driver license, the court can suspend it, take possession of it and “the court shall destroy the license.” Also, the “dropout” can be ordered to participate in counseling at their or their parents or guardians’ expense.

There are several more sections in this ordinance. I will not bore you with all of them, but I want to say a something about one more: Section 19.1600 Bullying. The forfeitures in this section are $50 plus court costs for the first violation, $100 for the second and $250 plus costs for subsequent offences; with no maximum. All stick.

I think this ordinance is unnecessary and draconian. Leave the discipline to the parents and the school. In addition, I think this ordinance has the potential to cause teenagers to distrust, dislike and fear police.

Teenagers are transitioning humans. We all have known teenagers for whom “the way we did school did not work” but they became outstanding citizens, mothers and fathers. So, let’s not make it more difficult for teenagers to become outstanding adults by financially burdening them when they are teenagers for being teenagers.

Gary Frank, Town of Underhill

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