Monrovia Council Passes New Anti-Truancy Law

The City Council has approved amendments to its landmark daytime curfew law so that it does not conflict with state law and can be reinstated, officials said.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Carolyn B. Kuhl in January ruled that the anti-truancy ordinance allowed police to fine students whose absences were legitimate under state law, and thus could not be enforced.

The injunction resulted from a lawsuit filed in 1997 by a coalition of private school and home schooled children and their parents. They argued that the ordinance was unconstitutional. The judge did not rule on that broader issue, leaving Monrovia the option to rewrite its law to comply with the state education code.

The revisions approved by the city this week include references to the state code to address when and why children can be legally absent from school, said Police Chief Joe Santoro. The ordinance also includes specific allowances for youths to be on the streets during normal school hours.