TRUANCY

If a student is absent without a signed parental excuse or if the student leaves school or a class without permission of the teacher or administrator in charge, the student shall be considered truant. A "habitual truant" shall be defined as a student of compulsory attendance (from seven years of age to under sixteen years of age) age who has four unexcused absences from school in any one month or 10 unexcused absences from school during any school year. For the purposes of this policy only, an absence shall be defined as more than one-half of the school day. Classification as a habitual truant shall cause judicial proceedings to be initiated to enforce compulsory attendance. Absences due to suspension or expulsion shall not be counted toward a designation of "habitually truant".

 

In order to reduce the incidents of truancy, parents or guardians of all students shall be notified in writing at the beginning of each school year and upon any enrollment during the school year of their obligation to ensure that all children of compulsory attendance age attend school as required by Colorado Statute C.R.S. 22-33-107 (3)(b)(II). Parents or guardians shall be requested to acknowledge in writing awareness of their obligations and shall be required to furnish the school with a telephone number or other means of contacting them during the school day.

 

The school shall establish a system of monitoring individual unexcused absences. When a student fails to report on a regularly scheduled school day and school personnel have received no indication that his or her parent is aware of the absence, school personnel or volunteers under the direction of school personnel shall make a reasonable effort to notify the parent or guardian by telephone.

 

When a student is declared habitually truant, (or before this declaration, where practicable), the school shall require a meeting between the student's parent guardian or legal custodian and appropriate school personnel to review and evaluate the reasons for the student being habitually truant and to develop a plan for the purpose of assisting the student to remain in school. (Refer also to file JKEA Expulsion Prevention Programs) Where practicable, such plan will be developed with the full participation of the student's parent, guardian or legal custodian. Failure of the student's parent, guardian or legal custodian to participate shall not alleviate the need for the development of a plan. Such meeting should be held not later than 10 school days after the student's fourth unexcused absence in a month or 10th unexcused absence in a year.

 

Penalties

 

A student shall be given a warning on his first truancy offense. On the second offense, the student may be given a three-day in-school detention or be suspended from school for up to three days. Further truancies may result in additional in-school alternatives and could result in suspension, expulsion, and/or court referral.

 

No credit shall be permitted for any student for any class period or portion of a class period during which time the student was classified as truant.

 

Adopted December ,1994

Revised September ,1995

Revised September ,1996

 

LEGAL REFS.: C.R.S. 22-32-104

C.R.S. 22-33-107

 

CROSS REFS.: JEA, Compulsory Attendance Ages

JH, Student Absences and Excuses

JKD/JKE, Student Suspension/Expulsion/Denial of Admission

 

Colorado Springs School District Eleven, Colorado Springs Colorado

September, 1996