It is recommended that the City Council:
  
1. Authorize the City Manager to execute an Interlocal Agreement with the Fort Worth Independent School District for the City to provide a School Attendance Court to adjudicate Fort Worth Independent School District truancy cases; and
  
2. Authorize the City Manager to accept reimbursement from the Fort Worth Independent School District in the amount of $683,832.48 for personnel and other costs related to the operation of the School Attendance Court in Fiscal Year 2009-2010.

The Comprehensive Truancy Intervention Program (CTIP) is a joint effort of the Fort Worth Independent School District (FWISD), the Tarrant County District Attorney's Office and the Fort Worth Police Department. The program is designed to aggressively address the truancy problem and includes various efforts by FWISD to encourage school attendance. Student truancy can result in Class C misdemeanor court cases filed against students and their parents.
  
The FWISD requested that the City provide an Attendance Court dedicated to hear truancy cases only. Since establishment of the School Attendance Court on February 20, 2001, (M&C C-18472) all FWISD truancy cases for students residing within the City have been processed in this dedicated municipal court.
  
FWISD agrees to reimburse the City for all personnel and other operational costs associated with implementation and operation of the Attendance Court except for computer-related costs. The Attendance Court site is provided to the FWISD at no cost to the City. Costs for Fiscal Year 2009-2010 School Attendance Court operations are estimated at $683,832.48.

The Interlocal Agreement provides that:
  
1. The Attendance Court established under the Fort Worth Municipal Court will have primary jurisdiction over all FWISD truancy cases for students residing within the City;
  
2. FWISD will fund all costs associated with the operation of the School Attendance Court to include staff salaries and other operational costs (with the exception of computer-related costs);
  
3. Any fines collected from truancy violations will be allocated between the FWISD and the City in accordance with State law;
  
  
  
4. FWISD will, at its sole cost and expense, provide space at FWISD-owned property within the City of Fort Worth conforming to accepted courtroom standards for conducting School Attendance Court proceedings and related activities and shall provide court personnel access to the facilities being provided; and

5. The term of this Agreement is for a period beginning on October 1, 2009, and ending September 30, 2010.

The Interlocal Agreement was approved by the FWISD School Board on October 27, 2009.