Truancy
HB 72 ENFORCEMENT OF TRUANCY LAWS (3/25/05) Identify any public school student, who has not reached his/her twenty-first (21st) birthday, who has been absent from school without a valid excuse for three (3) or more days or tardy without a valid excuse on three (3) or more days as truant; identify as a habitual truant a student who has been reported as truant two (2) or more times; hold a public school student who has attained the age of eighteen (18), but who has not reached his/her twenty-first (21st) birthday, accountable if the student fails to comply with truancy laws; hold the parent, guardian, custodian of a public school student who has not reached his/her eighteenth (18th) birthday accountable if the student fails to comply with school truancy laws; hold the court-appointed guardian of a public school student who has not reached his/her twenty-first (21st) birthday, accountable if the student fails to comply with school truancy laws; require school district personnel to inform students, parents, guardians, and custodians of the penalties for violating school truancy laws; identify as a habitual truant a student who has been reported as truant two (2) or more times.
Any child who has been absent from school without a valid excuse for three (3) days, or tardy to school on three (3) or more days, is a truant. Any child who has been reported as truant two (2) or more times is a habitual truant. Being absent for less than half a school day shall be regarded as being tardy. Three (3) Unexcused tardies are equal to one (1) unexcused absence. An absence will be calculated on an exact percentage of the day rather than in half-day or whole-day increments. Events will be assigned when a student is absent for more than sixty (60) minutes of the school day.
PROCEDURES FOR HANDLING TRUANCY AND HABITUAL TRUANCY FOR STUDENTS AGES SIX (6) THROUGH SEVENTEEN (17)
Principals or their designee shall follow these procedures regarding truancy:
1. Step One—After the second (2nd) unexcused absence:
a. Designated school personnel should attempt to have a conference with the student and document the attempt and/or conference in the Infinite Campus District Truancy Tab.
b. Designated school personnel should attempt to notify the Parent/Guardian through Infinite Campus Messenger and/or telephone call. An Infinite Campus messenger report should be sent to the Director of Pupil Personnel/Designee weekly. The Infinite Campus Messenger and/or phone call attempt shall be documented in the Infinite Campus Truancy Tab.
2. Step Two—After the fourth (4th) unexcused absence:
a. Designated school personnel should attempt to contact the parent/guardian or any student eighteen (18) years or older by utilizing the district uniform attendance letter.
b. The completed district uniform attendance letter should be documented in the Infinite Campus Truancy Tab.
3. Step Three—When five (5) unexcused absences occur:
a. The Director of Pupil Personnel should contact the parent/guardian or student eighteen (18) years or older and schedule a conference serving as an attendance intervention.
b. If the parent/guardian or student eighteen (18) years or older fails to attend the scheduled conference habitual truancy charges may be filed.
c. The Director of Pupil Personnel or designee shall initiate a legal petition against parent/guardian or student eighteen (18) years or older in district court and/or student with the Court Designated Worker for habitual truancy as required by law (KRS 159.150, KRS 159.180) when six (6) unexcused absences occur.
Home Hospital Instruction Program Home
Hospital Students are subject to Truancy, in the event, they are not in attendance on scheduled dates with their home hospital teacher. It is the responsibility of the parent/guardian or eighteen (18) years or older student to contact the home hospital teacher regarding absences, and turn in the appropriate excuse notes as stated in the Code of Acceptable Behavior attendance guidelines. Please note one (1) unexcused Home Hospital absence is equivalent to 2.5 unexcused student attendance days.
Director of Pupil Personnel Discretion Disclaimer
The Director of Pupil Personnel shall have the discretion to proceed with a legal petition in the event the above truancy steps are not completed in their entirety, when in the best interest of the student. A student who has reached his/her eighteenth (18th) birthday is, by law, considered an adult, and is, therefore, no longer under the jurisdiction of the laws pertaining to juveniles. Designated school personnel should follow the above truancy procedures for students eighteen (18) years or older.
Collaboration with other Agencies regarding Truancy
Christian County Public Schools will collaborate and cooperate with Court of Justice, the Department of Community Based Services, the Department of Juvenile Justice, a regional community mental health centers, and other service providers to implement and utilize early intervention and prevention programs, such as truancy diversion, truancy boards, mediation, and alternative dispute resolution to reduce referrals to a court designated worker. NO PASS NO DRIVE--DRIVER’S LICENSE REVOCATION (KRS 159.051)
Students who are academically deficient, drop-out of school, or accumulate nine (9) or more unexcused absences in the preceding semester, will have their driver’s license revoked. Academic and attendance deficiencies for students sixteen (16) or seventeen (17) enrolled in regular, alternative, optional, Christian County Day Treatment Center (CCDTC), part-time, and special education shall be defined as follows:
They shall be deemed academically deficient if they have not received passing grades in at least four (4) courses, or the equivalent of four (4) courses, taken in the preceding semester.
They shall be deemed deficient in attendance when they drop out of school or accumulate nine (9) unexcused absences in class/classes for the preceding semester. Suspensions shall be considered unexcused absences.
