If you’re a Selma City Schools student &045; or the parent of one &045; a newly formed Truancy Task Force has a message for you: Watch the unexcused school absences or face possible arrest.

When school authorities ask children why they were late for school, the children often blame their parents. A common refrain is, &uot;My mom woke me up late.&uot;

Many parents are unaware their child has been truant unless they are notified by school personnel.

But now here in Selma, excessive tardies and unexcused absences from school will bring repercussions for both parent and child, thanks to Lorraine Capers and the 13-member Truancy Task Force.

The Truancy Center, based at the Phoenix School, will be where continuous offenders of truancy will be taken until parental notification or contact is made.

Various agencies within the city, such as the Selma Police Department, Sheriff’s Department and the Department of Human Resources to name a few, will be working together to help students stop &uot;robbing themselves of an education,&uot; as Selma Police Chief Robert Green puts it.

Capers, the director of the Truancy Center, has a list of more than 600 Selma City School students who have been tardy or absent since the start of the school year &045;&045; each time and date documented.

Children under the age 16, unless on probation, must attend school for the number of days required. And when this law is violated, the city’s Truancy Task Force will hold those persons involved responsible.

Students who habitually skip school face the possibility of being arrested and taken to juvenile court for a hearing.

Parents who condone their child’s behavior, or who do nothing to stop it, face possible charges of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Each day, Capers calls the homes of students who are on the tardy/absent list given to her by city schools. She personally visits the homes of those students who do not have a telephone number. She stays in close contact with law enforcement officials who pick up school-age children roaming the streets during school hours.

The former Dallas County probation officer said she formed the Truancy Task Force to &uot;improve the quality of life for children.&uot;

If not stopped, Green said, truant behavior often leads to more problematic lifestyles. &uot;It’s the door to other offenses,&uot; he said. &uot;Breaking and entering of vehicles, burglary and robbery. And eventually they will not only be familiar with the Juvenile Justice System, but the Criminal Justice System and eventually the Alabama Prison System.&uot;

Parents will be held accountable for their child’s actions, something that may anger some, Capers said. But the end result will be the most positive aspect of it all.