Schools to enforce truancy laws
By Deborah Bennett Millen News Editor

As the new school year begins, parents of students enrolled in the local school system should be aware that they are responsible for their children's regular school attendance, or they will face the legal consequences associated with truancy. Truancy is defined as an absence from school that is not excused by the parent/guardian or the school.

Georgia's Compulsory Attendance Law states that any parent, guardian or other person residing in Georgia who has control or charge of a child residing in Georgia between six and 16 years of age is required to enroll that child in school and see to it that they attend.

The Jenkins County Attendance Protocol Committee and Georgia Compulsory Attendance Law define five unexcused absences from school within a single year as truancy.

According to information pro- vided by the Jenkins County school system and Jenkins County Family Enrichment Center, the local system had 152 truancy referrals and 67 open truant cases during the 2006-2007 school year. Of those, 152 referrals, one case was turned over to the Jenkins County State Court for prosecution and three students were recommended for license revocation, per provisions of Georgia's Mandatory Education Statute (Code Section 20-2- 690.1) and Teenage and Adult Driver Responsibility Act (Code Section 40-5-22).

Lawful, or excused absences, as stated in the Georgia Attendance Rule and adopted by the Jenkins County Attendance Protocol Committee, include the following: serious illness within the immediate family-father, mother, brother, sister, husband, wife, child or relative residing permanently and continuously in the student's home, which necessitates the student's absence from school (a doctor's statement is required for verification); personal illness and when attendance in school would endanger a student's health or the health of others; death within the immediate family is the same as stated for serious illness, and to include grandparents (the principal or school can verify by personal knowledge or other verification); special and recognized religious holidays observed by the student's faith, which requires an absence; medical or dental appointments that are verified by an official appointment card or memo from the doctor; absences mandated by order of governmental agencies, mandated by court order or court subpoena as a witness; conditions rendering attendance impossible or hazardous to student health or safety; absence for the purpose of registering to vote or voting, for a period not to exceed one day; serving as pages in the Georgia General Assembly; away from school while participating in an approved school-sponsored activity; any student who gets sick at school and has to go home (the principal is authorized to make the final determination to the validity of the illness); and the principal shall have the authority to declare legal absences that are due to recurring, periodic illnesses, which are supported by a doctor's statement describing the nature and fact of the illness.

Unlawful, or unexcused absences, include: car trouble; oversleeping; running errands; missing bus; cutting/skipping class; lack of electricity; lack of transportation; and taking care of family business.

The Jenkins County School system encourages parents/ guardians and the community as a whole to ensure that students get to school each day and on time, setting an example to help pave the way to greater academic heights for all children the new school year.