Act 29 (Truancy)

ACT 29 of 1995 (TRUANCY):

All students leaving the school at any other time during the school day, outside of the scheduled/approved
dismissal time of 3:10 p.m. are required to sign out, and notification will be made to parent/guardian/P.O.,
etc. for unapproved dismissal.
Students cutting school are truant. Truancy petitions will be prepared and turned over to the proper
authorities for the initiation of legal action(s), including fines, etc. against students and parents/guardians.
Act 29 provides for a $300 fine and allows the court to impose parent education classes and community
service sentences for the parents of a truant child who do not show that they took reasonable steps to ensure
their child’s school attendance. It provides that the parent and child must appear at a hearing before the
district magistrate. Act 29 also provides that truant students lose their driver’s license for 90 days for a first
offense and 6 months for a second offense.
*Truant: Three or more school days of unexcused absences prompt the mandatory initiation of the district’s
truancy process.