Family Law

Child Habitually Truant § 601(b)

A habitual truant refers to a child of compulsory school age who is absent without a legitimate excuse for five or more consecutive school days, seven or more school days in one month or twelve or more school days in a school year. The law further requires that after a student has been reported as a truant three or more times in one school year and after an appropriate school employee has made a conscientious effort to hold at least one meeting with the parent and the student, the student is deemed a habitual truant. The intent is to provide solutions for students who failed to respond to the normal avenues of school intervention, and the most cost-effective method possible should be used to notify the parent or guardian about the meeting at the school.