DBS CODE: 5113.2 DBS CODE: 5113.2STUDENTS
Elementary and Secondary - Attendance:
Regular student attendance in school is essential to the educational process. Responsibility for assuring that students attend school rests by statute with the student's parent or other person having control of the child.
The district's policy on student truancy shall stress early prevention and inquiry leading to remediation of absences rather than imposition of punitive measures for students. Referral to legal authorities normally shall be made only when local resources are exhausted. For purposes of implementing this policy and for reporting purposes regarding truancy, the District will utilize the State Board of Education approved definitions of "excused," "unexcused," and "disciplinary" absences.
"Truant" shall mean a student age five to eighteen, inclusive, who has four unexcused absences in any one month, or ten unexcused absences in one school year.
"In attendance" shall mean a student if present at his/her assigned school, or an activity sponsored by the school (e.g., field trip), for at least half of the regular school day. A student who is serving an out-of-school suspension or expulsion should always be considered absent.
"Chronically absent child" is an enrolled student whose total number of absences at any time during a school year is equal to or greater than ten percent of the total number of days that such student has been enrolled at such school during such school year.
"Absence" means an excused absence, unexcused absence or disciplinary absence, as those terms are defined by the State Board of Education or an in-school suspension that is greater than or equal to one-half of a school day.
"District chronic absenteeism rate" means the total number of chronically absent children in the previous school year divided by the total number of children under the jurisdiction of the Board of Education for such school year.
"School chronic absenteeism rate" means the total number of chronically absent children for a school in the previous school year divided by the total number of children enrolled in such school for such school year.
Remediation of Truancy
School personnel shall seek cooperation from parents or other persons having control of such child and assist them in remedying and preventing truancy. The Somers Board of Education, through its superintendent, will adopt and maintain procedures to:
1. Notify parents annually of their obligations under the attendance policy.
2. Obtain telephone numbers for emergency record cards or other means of contacting parents or other persons having control of the child during the school day.
3. Establish a system to monitor student attendance.
4. Make a reasonable effort by telephone and by mail to notify parents or other persons having control of the child, enrolled in grades one through eight, inclusive, when a child does not arrive at school and there has been no previously approval or other indication, which indicates parents are aware of the absence. (Note: Persons who in good faith give or fail to give notice pursuant to this section shall be immune from any liability, civil or criminal, which might otherwise be incurred or imposed and shall have immunity with respect to any judicial proceeding which results from such notice or failure to give notice.)
5. Identify a student as "truant" when the student accumulates four unexcused absences in any month or ten in a school year.
6. Identify a student as "chronically absent" when the student accumulates a total number of absences at any time during a school year that is equal to or greater than ten percent of the total number of days that such student has been enrolled at the school during the school year.
7. Appropriate school staff meet with parents of a child identified as truant or chronically absent to review and evaluate the situation, within ten days of such designation. Such meeting may involve the school or District Attendance Team.
8. When a petition is filed, an educational evaluation of the truant student shall be done by appropriate school personnel if no such evaluation has been performed within the preceding year.
9. Provide coordination of services and refer "truants" to community agencies, which provide family services.
10. If in existence, refer the child to the children's probate court truancy clinic.
11. Provide the notice to the parents/guardian the information concerning the 2-1-1 Infoline and other pediatric mental and behavioral health screening sources and tools provided by the State Department of Education.
Students so identified may be subject to:
(a) retention in the same grade to acquire necessary skills for promotion or retention.
(b) a requirement to complete a summer school program successfully before being promoted to the next grade.
1. When a petition is filed, an educational evaluation of the truant student shall be done by appropriate school personnel if no such evaluation has been performed within the preceding year.
2. Provide coordination of services and refer "truants" to community agencies which provide child and family services.
3. If in existence, refer the child to the children's probate court truancy clinic.
Legal Reference: Connecticut General Statutes
10-184 Duties of parents.
10-198a Policies and procedures concerning truants
10-199 through 10 202 Attendance, truancy in general.
45a-8c Truancy clinic. Administration. Policies and procedures. Report.
10-220(c) Duties of boards of education
10-202e f Policy on dropout prevention and grant program.
10-221(b) Board of education to prescribe rules. Campbell v New Milford, 193 Conn 93 (1984).
Action taken by the State Board of Education on January 2, 2008, to define "attendance."
Action taken by the State Board of Education on June 27, 2012, to define "excused and "unexcused" absences.
PA 15-225 An Act Concerning Chronic Absenteeism.
Cross Reference: DBS CODE: 5113
Adopted: July 1, 1991
Revised: June 8, 2009
January 11, 2016
January 9, 2017
September 10, 2018
October 24, 2022