Michigan mom jailed for child's excessive truancy

A Michigan woman was ordered to spend five days in jail on truancy charges after her 6-year-old child racked up 26 unexcused absences last school year, WXMI reported.

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Brittany Ann Horton, 28, of Twin Lake, was sentenced earlier this month after she refused to cooperate with repeated attempts to make sure her child attended school, MLive reported, citing the Muskegon County Prosecutor's Office. She pleaded guilty to truancy in May.

Horton also was fined more than $50, WXMI reported.

An intervention program launched by Muskegon County Prosecutor D.J. Hilton provides a system where parents are encouraged to send their children to school, MLive reported. Students are targeted for intervention once they accumulate nine days of unexcused absences.

Administrators said Horton skipped scheduled meetings to discuss the absences, WXMI reported.

"When parents like Ms. Horton refuse to make reasonable efforts to address the truancy problem, our office is committed to making sure the children of our community are not deprived of an education," MLive reported, quoting a statement from the Prosecutor's Office.

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