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Attendance » Truancy

Truancy

State compulsory attendance law requires that every child at least ages 6 and younger than 19 years of age attend school. The School enforces the compulsory attendance laws by ensuring the regular attendance of currently enrolled students through the application of truancy prevention measures and, if necessary, referral of students to truancy court.

A student’s absence is excused if the absence is specifically authorized by School policy or rule, or is otherwise approved by the campus administrator. Any absence that is not excused shall be considered an “unexcused” absence. For more information, please visit the Excused v. Unexcused Absences section of this website.

The School will provide written notice to parents if their student has incurred three unexcused absences (including partial day absences) in a four week period, and will begin the implementation of truancy prevention measures, which shall include one of the following:

TRUANCY PREVENTION MEASURES

  1. The School’s Truancy Prevention Facilitator will attempt to meet/conference with the student to ascertain the reasoning behind the absences
  2. The School’s Truancy Prevention Facilitator will attempt to meet/conference with a parent/legal guardian of the student to ascertain the reasoning behind the absences
  3. The creation of a behavior improvement plan that includes a specific description of required or prohibited behavior, the period of the plan’s effectiveness (not to exceed 45 days), and penalties for additional absences;
  4. School-based community service; or
  5. Referral to student support counselor, Heather Lyftogt, for counseling, mentoring, teen court, community-based services, or other services to address the student’s truancy.

REFERRAL TO TRUANCY COURT

A student will be considered “truant” if the student fails to attend school, without excuse, on 10 or more days or parts of days within a six-month period in the same school year. A student, who is at least 12 years of age and younger than 19 years of age, may be referred to truancy court within 10 days of the student’s 10th unexcused absence. In rare occasions, parents may also be subject to prosecution for criminal negligence if the parent fails to secure the student’s attendance as further detailed below.

Before the School makes a referral to truancy court, the School’s Truancy Prevention Facilitator will create and oversee the implementation of truancy prevention measures for the student.  The principal of the School, Marsha Hagin, will serve in this capacity.  The School will not refer a student to truancy court if the student’s truancy is the result of pregnancy, foster care, homelessness, or because the student is the principal income earner for their family and instead may offer additional counseling for the student. 

Chaparral Star Academy shall offer additional counseling to a student and may not refer the student to truancy court if the school determines that the student’s truancy is the result of:

  1. Pregnancy;
  2. Being in the state foster program;
  3. Homelessness;
  4. Severe or life-threatening illness or related treatment; or
  5. Being the principal income earner for the student’s family.

ENROLLMENT REVOCATION FOR STUDENTS 19 OR OLDER

If a student is 19 or older and has more than 3 unexcused absences in one semester, the School will issue a warning letter to the student that states enrollment can be revoked after 5 unexcused absences. As an alternative to revoking enrollment, the School may require the student to comply with a behavior improvement plan to address the student’s lack of attendance.  If the student fails to comply with the behavior improvement plan, the School may revoke the student’s enrollment.

FILING REQUIREMENTS

Each referral to a truancy court must include a statement from Chaparral Star Academy certifying that Chaparral Star Academy applied truancy prevention measures to the student and that the truancy prevention measures failed to meaningfully address the student’s school attendance. The referral must also specify whether the student is eligible for or receives special education services.