Kids' frequent absences from school lead to felony charges against Portland parents
PORTLAND, Ind. — Their children's frequents absences from school have resulted in felony charges against a Portland couple.
Ali R. Carreno, 43, and Trista L. Carreno, 35, were charged Wednesday in Jay Superior Court with three counts of neglect of a dependent, a Level 6 felony carrying up to 30 months in prison.
According to court documents, Trista Carreno received a "one-day notice" about the children's attendance issues on Nov. 14.
One of the children then had unexcused absences from East Jay Elementary School on Nov. 15 and 16. That student as of Nov. 14 had 28 unexcused absences this school year, which began on Aug. 10.
The other two children, students at Jay Junior-Senior High School, missed even more days in the wake of the "one-day notice," with one missing school on Nov. 15, 16, 17, 20, 21 and 27.
One of the older children had 35 unexcused absences as as Nov. 14,
According to court documents, teachers sent the parents emails indicating the repeated absences were having a devastating impact on their children's academic performance and grades.
Trista Carreno reportedly told a Jay County sheriff's deputy in November that "she was done fighting with her kids to get them to school and that they would refuse to go."
Court documents reflected the children also had poor attendance records during the 2022-2023 school year.
Both parents were charged with compulsory school attendance violations in Adams County in 2022. Those misdemeanor charges were later dismissed.
Trista Carreno was charged in March with domestic battery committed in the presence of a child less than 16 years old, a Level 6 felony.
She is scheduled to enter a guilty plea in that case on Jan. 16.
Ali Carreno, meanwhile, was convicted of domestic battery in Jay Circuit Court in November 2022, drawing a suspended sentence.
Douglas Walker is a news reporter at The Star Press. Contact him at 765-213-5851 or at dwalker@muncie.gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Portland parents face felony charges over kids' school absences
