Hound parents, not kids

Gene Watson admits that he’s behind in his bills. He is disabled, and his wife, a teacher, lost her job to budget cuts. Among their debts: $46 to their local school for after-school care for his 13-year-old daughter, Gabryele.

Because of that outstanding balance, Watson says, a letter came home from his daughter’s school stating that Gabryele would not be able to participate in field day unless the bill was paid.

A special needs student as a result of three open-heart surgeries for a congenital heart defect, Gabryele would remain in the classroom while her classmates played, according to her heartbroken father.

“If they can do this, then they can make her sit in the corner for my bill, or make her write a thousand-word paper for my bill, or anything else that might come to their minds. I think this punishment for the child is immoral and so unfortunate,” he says.

“I remember some of my field days from school 40-something years ago. It, in its own way, is as important as other more scholastic school activities.”

Watson does not pretend that he is a victim here.

He knows he’s wrong to let the after-care bill languish, but he has had to prioritize his spending in the wake of their steep income drop.

There’s a car note and basic living expenses to meet first.

But he argues that his suburban school system should go after him for the money. Send a bill collector. Threaten legal action.

But let his daughter participate in field day rather than sit in a classroom.

“The debt is my responsibility, not hers. Don’t punish my daughter for my lack of fulfilling my obligations,” Watson says.

Surely, he says, the schools are seeing more parents falling behind on their bills as more of them lose their jobs in the recession.

Couldn’t schools be more understanding given the desperate financial straits of many families?

I was surprised when Watson told me about his school’s policy.

I also thought it was unfair to make a child pay for the parent’s mistake by locking them out of what is arguably a highlight of the school year for students.

So I called the superintendent and left a detailed message about the Watson case.

The superintendent didn’t call me back, but he called Watson. (Neither the superintendent nor school board members responded to my e-mails or calls about this policy.)

Watson says the superintendent was upset that he spoke to a newspaper reporter and explained that the school system had to resort to extreme measures to motivate parents to pay.

“He said there was nothing else the schools could do because lots of parent owe lots of money,” Watson says. “When schools threatened to do this to the child, then people came through with the money.”

And that’s exactly what Watson did in the end. After talking to the superintendent on that Friday, he decided to let another bill wait and pay the $46 first thing Monday morning so Gabryele could join in the field day fun later that day.

Watson’s last-minute decision to make good on the debt suggests that a “no field day” tactic is an effective cattle prod. Most high schools adopt a similar stance with graduating seniors.

If the high-schoolers don’t pony up their class dues, return their textbooks or settle their lunch accounts, they don’t get to walk across the stage on graduation day.

I understand the hard line that schools take with high school scofflaws as it’s the last chance to recoup the money.

It’s making younger children suffer the consequences of their parents’ irresponsibility that troubles me.

I realize that financially strapped schools can’t ignore mounting debts, and that after-school programs have staff members who must be paid.

And I also know that schools underwrite costs that should rightfully be borne by parents.

I was flummoxed when a parent told me that she never bothered to send in money for field trips.

She could afford to pay the $5 or $10 that the school was asking, she told me, but she just never remembered and the school never chased her down for the money.

But I’ve also noticed that schools are asking for a lot more money today.

Many schools now request that parents assume snack duty for a week at a time for a class of 25 kids.

Classes often adopt “causes,” so kids are constantly seeking donations for whales, polar bears or the rain forest.

Go to a school event and someone will be selling a CD, a T-shirt or a calendar. There are teacher gift collections and frequent fund-raising campaigns.

Because I comply with the solicitations for field trip fees, snacks or pizza party money, I am not sure what happens to parents who ignore such solicitations.

However, whatever the consequences, shouldn’t they fall on the parent rather than the child?