FACTS ABOUT TRUANCY
DID YOU KNOW?
1.In the state of Virginia five days of unexcused
absences is considered a truancy problem.
2.Truancy is an issue in elementary school as well as
middle& high schools.
3.Truant students are more likely to be involved with
drugs, alcohol & crime.
WHAT CAN I AS A PARENT DO?
Stay involved with your child and
his/her teachers and school staff.
Be aware of changes in your child's grades,
appearance, and behavior.
HARRISONBURG CITY
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
TRUANCY & YOU
Know who your child's friends are and
where they are spending their free time.
Get your child involved in a school sport,
club or activity.
4.75% of habitually truant students never graduate.
Schedule family trips and doctor's
appointments when school is not in session.
WHAT ELSE SHOULD I KNOW?
According to VA state law a child must attend
school until he/she reaches age 18 or until he/she
completes an approved program. No one under
the age of 18 can legally "Drop Out" of school.
WHAT CAN THE SCHOOL DO?
Each principal will insure that teachers are
accountable for the following:
Support the school by setting consequences
for your child if he/she goes to school late or is
absent from school.
Go to work on time. If your child sees you
going to work on time, he/she will understand it
is important for him/her to be at school on
time.
Talk with your child about the importance
of an education. Tell how a good education has
helped you with your job.
1.) Checking the roll each day in every class;
2.) Communicating with a student's parent if
poor attendance is affecting the student's
progress and keeping a log of those contacts;
3.) Including participation, which may be
affected by attendance, in their student
evaluation procedures; and
4.) Offering vital, stimulating instruction each
day which necessitates and encourages student
attendance. School Board Policy # 408-R
All these things can be useful in the fight against
truancy. Also your school as well as your
community offer many helpful resources to
assist you in dealing with difficult situations
involving your child.
ATTENDANCE IS THE SINGLE
MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR IN
SCHOOL SUCCESS.
Harrisonburg City Public Schools
Department of Student Support Services
Albert J Falcioni, Supervisor
101 North Main Street, 4th Floor
Harrisonburg VA 22802
Phone (540) 434-2752
Fax (540) 434-2923

STUDENT ATTENDANCE
Student attendance is a cooperative effort, and the
school board shall involve parents and students in
accepting the responsibility for good attendance.
designee, school social worker, and representatives
from the Department of Social Services, Community
Services Board and the Juvenile Domestic Relations
Court.
3.The next unexcused absence following the
Each parent/guardian or person having control or
charge of a child within the compulsory attendance age
shall be responsible for such child's regular and
punctual attendance at school as required under the
provisions of the law.
Interagency Truancy Committee Meeting a petition is
filed with the court and criminal charges may be filed
against the parent(s)/guardian(s)
A reasonable effort will be made to contact a
parent/guardian of each absent student every day, and
a log will be kept of call attempts.
A student over the age of 14 can be sent to Juvenile
Detention for truancy for as much as 10 days per each
day missed from school following their first
appearance in court. Students under the age of 14 are
not sentenced to detention but charges are filed against
their parents.
Students who are absent must bring a valid note stating
the reason for absence upon return to school unless
prior notification of reason by parent/guardian has
been received.
Students shall attend school for a full day unless
otherwise excused. School Board Policy #408.
CONSEQUENCES OF HABITUAL
TRUANCY
Parents of ALL truant students can be charged with
Failure to Send Child to School, or Contributing to the
Delinquency of a Minor. Fines as well as jail time
could be punishment for not sending a child to school.
Absenteeism is detrimental to students'
achievement, promotion, graduation, self-esteem,
and employment potential. Clearly, students who
miss school fall behind their peers in the classroom.
This, in turn, leads to low self-esteem and increases
the likelihood that at-risk students will drop out of
school.
Author: DeKalb, Jay
Source: ERIC Clearinghouse on Educational Management Eugene
OR.
WHAT CAUSES TRUANCY
Before determining the most effective means of
controlling unexcused absences, the causes of
truant behavior must be understood.
In one survey, students cited boredom and loss of
interest in school, irrelevant courses, suspensions,
and bad relationships with teachers as the major
factors in their decision to skip school. On the
other hand, most of the school staff believed
truancy to be related primarily to student problems
with family and peers (ERIC/CEM and LinnBenton Education Service District 1992).
Author: DeKalb, Jay
Source: ERIC Clearinghouse on Educational Management Eugene
OR.
HOW THE TRUANCY PROCESS WORKS
Truancy procedures are determined in accordance
with VA state law.
1.When a student has been absent from school five
days unexcused a school based meeting called an
Attendance Improvement Plan is held. The meeting
involves the principal or designee, attendance staff,
student and parent. At this meeting a plan is discussed
to correct the absenteeism.
2.When the student is absent one day unexcused,
following the Attendance Improvement Plan Meeting,
a referral is then made to the Harrisonburg City School
Attendance Officer. An Interagency Truancy
Committee meeting is then held to again discuss the
attendance problem. This meeting includes the
parents, student, attendance officer, school principal,
Student nonattendance is a problem that extends
much further than the school. It affects the student,
the family, and the community.
The Los Angeles County Office of Education
identifies truancy as the most powerful predictor of
delinquency. Police departments across the nation
report that many students not in school during
regular hours are committing crimes, including
vandalism, shoplifting, and graffiti. When Van
Nuys, California, officials conducted a three-week
sweep for truants on the streets, shoplifting arrests
dropped by 60 percent (Garry 1996).
The Road to Success Starts Here!