Mom cited for kids' chronic truancy

A Wauwatosa mother has been cited for truancy because her three sons have only made it to school seven out of 53 days since they've been enrolled in the school district.

According to Wauwatosa police:

The 49-year-old woman enrolled one son as a first-grader at Eisenhower Elementary School and her 16- and 17-year-old boys at Wauwatosa West High School in early December. Since then, they have not shown up for class most days.

Often, the mother does not call in her kids' absences, but when they have gotten ahold of her she has provided various excuses, such as being called out of town for family emergencies and bad weather making travel difficult.

Her youngest son allegedly told his teacher that he "was at home watching SpongeBob" when he didn't come to school.

School administrators, social workers and police officers have tried contacting the mother, and have set up appointments to discuss truancy issues, but she has failed to show up.

Due to the mother's history of child abuse, giving false information to officers and contributing to delinquency of children, the Bureau of Milwaukee Child Welfare has gotten involved, and a municipal court date has been set on the truancy citation.