A Purcellville mother was found guilty of violating
compulsory attendance law, a Class 2 misdemeanor, after routinely
dropping off her three daughters late at their western Loudoun
elementary school.Maureen Blake, 42, was fined $1,000 for each of her three children Thursday, but Juvenile and Family Relations Court Judge Pamela L. Brooks suspended the fine for one year. If Blake commits no criminal crimes and her children have no unexcused absences or tardy slips on their school records in that time, the fines will be dropped.
Each of the violations was on a Thursday, the only day of the week Blake is responsible to bring her children to school. She shares custody of the three children with their father Victor Blake. He does not face any charges and, according to Maureen Blake, consistently delivers the children on time.
On the stand Melcher said, before she reported Blake to the court, she sent two separate certified letters to her, made a phone call and left a voicemail that was she never returned and had a sit-down meeting with Blake and the school’s principal in December to come up with an attendance plan.
Blake, who represented herself in the case, argued that most every school system, including Loudoun County Public Schools, signifies a difference in a student wracking up unexcused absences and late arrivals. She said the punishment that faced her may have been justified for a number of absences, but not being late a “few days here and there.”
“It’s like charging a driver who didn’t yield at a yield sign with reckless driving,” she said.
Blake also told the court she is the mother of six children and has been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), which contributes to her successive struggle with time management. She also said she hired a life coach to help her with the situation.
“Eleven tardies is a success considering the condition I have,” she said. “I should be applauded instead of being brought to court.”
Brooks read Blake the Virginia Code statute that states parents are responsible for their children to be in school “for the same number of days and hours per day as the public schools.”
“That means the child is supposed to be in school when school begins and until school ends—everyday,” Brooks told Blake. “It is a parent’s responsibility to get elementary school children on time to school.”
Brooks reminded Blake that this is the third time she has been brought to court for repeatedly bringing her children to school late. Blake was found guilty the first two times, and the fines were suspended unless the school attendance track record did not improve. When there was no improvement, the fines were reinstated, according to Brooks.
Since Blake was arrested in January and a second western Loudoun family was charged with a Class 3 misdemeanor for their children's excessive tardiness last month, discussion over how public school systems should handle tardies as compared with absences has been debated in media outlets and online blogs both locally and nationally.
Mark and Amy Denicore, who have three children at Waterford Elementary School, could also face a $3,000 fine. Two of their children have received 29 tardy slips, and one has received 27, this school year, according to school records. Their trial date is March 14.
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