Truancy
Under California law, a student is considered truant when he or she is absent from school without a valid excuse for three full days in one school year or is tardy or absent for more than any 30-minute period during the school day on three occasions in one school year, or any combination thereof.
In the event that a school suspects that a student is truant (absent from school without a valid excuse), the school administration should contact the parents/guardians. If the student is absent three times in a school year without a valid excuse and all resources at the school level have been exhausted, the student may be considered a habitual truant and is subject to dismissal. The school principal should notify the local Child Welfare and Attendance authorities.
If a student has been absent without excuse, and it is impossible to contact the parents/guardians or designated emergency contacts within 4 hours and after repeated attempts, the school should notify the local police department, Child Protective Services, or both of those agencies.
7-9-2021, 7-31-2024