STUDENTS 5113.2

Truancy

The Board of Education recognizes the importance of early intervention for students exhibiting truancy behavior. A "truant" means a child age five to eighteen inclusive, who is enrolled in a public or private school and who has four unexcused absences in one month, or ten unexcused absences in one year. A "habitual truant" means any such child who has 20 unexcused absences within a school year.

School personnel, will seek cooperation from parents or other persons having control of such child and assist them in remedying and preventing truancy.

Legal Reference: Connecticut General Statutes 10-184

10-198a
10-199 - 10-202
10-202e
10-221(b)
46b-149

Adopted: August 26, 1991
Revised: October, 2002
March 8, 2004

Truancy - Administrative Guidelines

A "truant" means a child age five to eighteen, inclusive, who is enrolled in a public or private school and has four unexcused absences in one month, or ten unexcused absences in one year. A "habitual truant" means any such child who has 20 unexcused absences within a school year.

The school administration will make a concentrated effort to prevent and remedy truancy in its early stages for students who are found to be truant. This will include:

1.) A meeting with the appropriate school staff and the parent (or other person having control) of the child who is truant within ten (10) school days after the child's fourth unexcused absence in one month or tenth unexcused absence in one school year.

2.) The designated staff shall coordinate services with and referrals of children to community agencies providing child and family services.

3.) The designated school staff annually notifying the parent or other person having control of each child ages five to eighteen who is enrolled in a public or private school in writing, of obligations of the parent pursuant to 10-184 of the Connecticut General Statutes.

4.) Annually, at the beginning of the school year and upon enrollment during the school year, obtain from the parent a telephone number or other means of contacting such a parent during the school day.

5.) Whenever a child enrolled in school in grades K-8 fails to report to school on a regularly scheduled school day and no indication has been received by school personnel that the child's parent or other person having control of the child is aware of the pupil's absence, a reasonable effort to notify, by telephone, the parent or such other person shall be made by the school personnel or volunteers under the direction of the school personnel. Persons who, in good faith, give or fail to give notice pursuant to this section shall be immune from any liability, civil or criminal, which might otherwise be incurred or imposed and shall have the same immunity with respect to any judicial proceedings which results from such notice or failure to give such notice.

6.) The Superintendent shall file a written complaint pursuant to CSG Section 46b-149 (Family with service needs complaint) for each habitual truant enrolled in the schools under his/her jurisdiction and/or in situations where the parent fails to cooperate to solve the truancy problem.

7.) The attendance procedures manual for elementary and middle schools and for grades 9-12 shall be used as a reference guide where appropriate.

Adopted: August 26, 1991
Revised: October 2002
March 8, 2004