There’s a difference between chronic truancy and absence, but it’s the child who is missing school who truly loses in the end, no matter what kind of definition the absence is given. North Fayette Valley student Emily Guyer (front, right) wonders where her fellow classmate is as Harley Stone (back, right) raises his hand to answer a question, while Andrew Schmitt completes a worksheet. Chris DeBack photo
Differences exist between chronic truancy and absence
By Chris Deback
cdeback@thefayettecountyunion.com
It was brought up at the November North Fayette and Valley school board meetings that the administration had noted in the school newsletter that some students were nearing being considered chronically absent.
At the meeting, Stacy Cumming, Valley school board member, asked how the buildings take attendance, because she had heard that each building takes attendance differently. That is somewhat true, as some buildings in the district do differ in how they take attendance.
This article will discuss what it means to be truant and chronically absent, what the attendance policies are, how truancy affects learning, and the policies, procedures, and recourse the school has when it comes to chronic truancy and absence. By policy, a student is considered excessively absent when he or she has missed 10 or more days of school.