Terms to Know

Chronically absent or Chronic Absenteeism means absent for 10% or more of the enrolled school days in a school year, whether absenteeism is due to unexcused, excused, or disciplinary absences. 

Truant means a child who has ten (10) or more unexcused absences per school year. 

Disciplinary absence means absences that result from school or district disciplinary action and are neither unexcused or excused absences. 

Excused absence includes, but is not limited to the following: 

• Student illness/injury with doctor’s note 

• Student sent home by school

• Funeral/death in family

• Placement by Juvenile Court in detention, shelter care, foster care or residential placement

Unexcused absence is any absence not accounted for above, examples of unexcused absences include, but not limited to:

• Overslept

• Missed bus 

• Sickness (not documented)

• Willful truancy (skipping)