Truancy
Selma City Schools Truancy Policy
Truancy is unexcused absences or skipping school/class for a day or portion thereof. The school staff will complete a series of steps before referring the matter to the Family Engagement Specialist for Selma City Schools. Further action will involve juvenile court as intervention in the student’s truancy matter. If a juvenile court referral is made, the parent or guardian of the student must attend court and be prepared to participate in any other referrals by the court as well as pay the fines that accompany court costs. If the student continues to miss school and remains truant, the court has the authority to recommend other interventions. If a student has an IEP, the school must hold a Manifestation Determination Review to determine whether the student’s absences are related to the student’s disability prior to making a referral to juvenile court. If the student’s disability had a direct and substantial relationship to the absences, a truancy referral to juvenile court will not be made.
Early Warning Truancy Program
Purpose: The Early Warning Truancy program is a school-community effort to assist public school personnel, parents, and law enforcement personnel in providing for early intervention for children and youth who are truant or in danger of becoming truant.
Description: The program is a joint effort between the Selma City Board of Education and the District Attorney’s office. It is designed to reduce truancy, the number of student dropouts, and to provide an intervention program for student behavior at school.
Procedure: Parents will be notified when truancies have occurred. Should truancies occur, the parent(s)/guardian(s) and child may be summoned to a juvenile court session. Further truancies could result in the filing of a petition.
EARLY WARNING TRUANCY PROGRAM
1st Unexcused Warning – Call Parents/Guardians and Student Counseled
2nd Unexcused Warning – Written Letter to Parent and Student Counseled
3rd Unexcused- Required Student-Parent Administrator Conference
4th Unexcused-Referral to School-based Problem Solving Team for Intervention
5th/6th Unexcused- Referral to Family Engagement Specialist (Attendance Mandatory)
7th or More Unexcused- Sign Consent Decree/Contributing Warrant