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Truancy

Information and resources that define truancy, corrective actions, and other related information.

Truancy Explained: Definitions and Corrective Actions

Definition of a Truant

The California Legislature defined a truant in very precise language. In summary, it states that a student missing more than 30 minutes of instruction without an excuse three times during the school year must be classified as a truant and reported to the proper school authority. This classification and referral help emphasize the importance of school attendance and is intended to help minimize interference with instruction. Effective January 1, 2013, the law was amended to authorize school administrators to excuse school absences due to the pupil’s circumstances, even if the excuse is not one of the valid excuses listed in the California Education Code (EC) or the uniform standards established by the governing board of the district.

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Reasons for Excused Absences

Allows students to be absent for specific excused reasons—such as illness, medical appointments, family emergencies, religious duties, or civic duties, but does count toward chronic absenteeism.

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Definition of a Chronic Truant

Defines a chronic truant as a student having unexcused absences totaling 10 percent or more of school days during the year, measured from enrollment to the current date. Applies only after the school has followed all prior truancy steps.

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First Notification Mandate

In addition to the reporting requirement, the law states that the school district must notify the parent or guardian of the truant by the most cost-effective method possible, and that the notification must include specific information related to the student's unexcused absences.

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Habitual Truant Mandate

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.

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Interventions

When a student is a habitual truant, or is irregular in attendance at school, or is habitually insubordinate or disorderly during school, the student may be referred to a school attendance review board (SARB) or to the county probation department pursuant to EC Section 48263. The student may also be referred to a probation officer or district attorney mediation program pursuant to EC Section 48263.5. The intent of these laws is to provide intensive guidance to meet the special needs of students with school attendance problems or school behavior problems pursuant to EC Section 48320. These interventions are designed to divert students with serious attendance and behavioral problems from the juvenile justice system and to reduce the number of students who drop out of school.

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Referral to School Attendance Review Board (SARB)

If a student keeps missing school or has serious behavior issues, the school can refer the family to a SARB for help. The SARB works with families to find solutions before taking any legal steps.

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Penalties (Student)

The law provides schools and school districts with discretion regarding student penalties for truancy as long as they are consistent with state law. The penalties for truancy for students defined in EC Section 48264.5 become progressively severe from the first time a truancy report is required through the fourth time a truancy report is required.

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Penalties (Parent)

Penalties against parents apply when any parent, guardian, or other person having control or charge of any student fails to compel the student to attend school. The penalties against parents in EC Section 48293(a) become progressively severe from the first conviction to the third conviction.

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Certification of District Supervisors of Attendance

In school districts with an average daily attendance of 1,000 or more students, the district supervisor of attendance must be officially certified by the county office of education. This ensures district supervisors of attendance are qualified to help improve student attendance.

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Investigation of School Attendance Complaints

If someone complains about a parent, guardian, or other person responsible for a child’s attendance, the school district must conduct a full and impartial investigation into any alleged violations of the compulsory education laws.

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Criminal Complaints against Parents

If a parent or guardian is found to have violated compulsory education laws, the family will first be referred to a SARB for help. If the parent or guardian ignores SARB’s support and instructions, the school may take legal action.

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Filing and Prosecution of Complaints by Attendance Supervisors

If a student’s attendance problem continues and legal action is needed, the attendance supervisor must file a truancy complaint and work with the appropriate authorities to address the issue.

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Challenging the Content of an Inaccurate Record of Truancy

The parent or guardian of a pupil or former pupil can ask the school to correct or remove incorrect or misleading information in their child’s records. The school must review the request and make changes if needed within 30 days.

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Truancy Rate

The truancy rate of a school is determined by the number of students in a school who are classified as truants pursuant to EC Section 48260 during the school year compared to the cumulative enrollment of the school.

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Publications

Questions:   Educational Options | cwa@cde.ca.gov
Last Reviewed: Friday, February 6, 2026