The principal
May 19, 2022
Due to its ticketing practices, MCHS was mentioned several times in the first “The Price Kids Pay” article. MCHS Principal Dr. Jeff Prickett had defended ticketing as a way “to restore justice.”
“What I meant by tickets as a way to restore justice is that when a student receives a ticket, what usually happens [is that] it does not go on the permanent record,” Prickett said. “But, what it does is act as a way to introduce the student and family to a system that can eventually provide them with resources.”
Regarding the possession or use of controlled substances — a common offense at MCHS — Prickett adds, “A judge is usually going to say you have to do so many hours of community service and go through Rosecrance, who provides drug and alcohol counseling. That provides [students] with the resources they need in order to get better and restore what they’ve done.”
A concern in the ProPublica and Chicago Tribune investigation has been the financial burden a ticket’s fine could impose on families. Additional administrative and court hearing fees can reach up to $150 — or more if a student chooses to contest the ticket.
“I recognize the fact that [a ticket] can provide a hardship for a family who may already be struggling, and I empathize with families,” Prickett said. “It’s a hard one because on the other side of the coin there is that fact that out in the community … there are consequences to actions … and if you are doing something that is illegal, or in possession of something that is illegal, there is a consequence for that. Unfortunately, a lot of the time there are financial consequences to that.”
Hours after the first “The Price Kids Pay” article was published, State Superintendent of Education Dr. Carmen Ayala sent schools an email condemning ticketing practices. She explained how a hypothetical $250 fine could be a week’s groceries, gas for the month, an electricity bill or a heating bill. Ayala also emphasized the responsibility of educators to serve families from diverse circumstances, such as the more than 50% of Illinois families who qualify as low-income.
“Multiple state laws in the Illinois School Code intend to prohibit the practice,” she wrote. “However, some school districts have found loopholes between the Illinois School Code and the Municipal Code and abdicated their responsibility for student discipline to local law enforcement. If your district/schools are engaging in this practice, I implore you to immediately stop and consider both the cost and consequences of these fines.”
Though ticketing continues at MCHS, Prickett is aware of Ayala’s statement and sees a future where only the “most egregious and extreme circumstances” receive tickets. He cites student behavior as one of the things MCHS spends “a lot of time on.”
“We have two deans here [at the Upper Campus] and one dean at the Freshman Campus. [Addressing behavior] is what they do all day long,” he said. “I think that we should start at the root of the problem, finding out why a student is behaving in a certain way, especially if it is a repeat behavior and they do it over and over again despite the consequences. We then have to figure out what we’re doing wrong and address it differently. That takes time though and resources — human resources.”