Truancy

To put it simply, truancy is skipping school without an excuse.  Each school district will define the specific days/hours of unexcused absence permitted in their student handbook. 

In the state of Ohio, truancy for youth between the ages of six and eighteen can be broken into two streams

Habitual Truancy:  A habitual truant is absent from school without a legitimate excuse for five or more consecutive days, seven or more school days in one school month, or 12 or more school days in one year.  

Chronic Truancy:  A chronic truant is absent from school without a legitimate excuse for seven or more consecutive school days, 10 or more school days in one school month, or 15 or more school days in a school year.  

HOW CAN I STAY SAFE?
Unless you are this Columbia Central grad, odds are you will have to miss some school. To stay clear of legal trouble it is important that all students understand their school's rules. Communication with staff and administration is also key to avoiding unnecessarily being written up.

Most schools will have truancy exceptions for a variety of reasons including

• Funerals
• Illness
• Appointments ( medical, dental, optometrical, or chiropractic services)
•  Religious holiday

Schools are also likely to grant an excuse when the pupil’s absence is requested in writing by a parent and approved by the school administration.

Truancy is detrimental to learning and education. Additionally, there are legal consequences as well.

•  A school district may file a complaint in the juvenile court of the student’s residential county against both the truant student and the student’s caretaker.
• Students may face difficulty graduating or moving on to the next grade
•  Penalty may include a fine or mandatory community service
• The student's driving license may be seized.