Educational Neglect and Truancy
What is educational neglect?
Educational Neglect focuses on parents or guardians who fail to enroll and/or send their child or children to school or an alternative education program.
What is truancy?
Truancy is when a student does not have a legal reason for arriving late, skipping a class, missing a whole day or many days of school. Truancy also includes a child who willfully and repeatedly is absent from school or other learning programs intended to meet the child's educational needs.
What does the law say about school educational neglect and truancy?
State law requires children between the ages of 6 and 16 to attend school. Pursuant to O.C.G.A. §20-/2-690.1, et. seq., parents or legal guardians are responsible for ensuring that their child or children attend school. Parents and guardians who fail to do so face criminal prosecution.
S.T.A.R.T
The Student Truancy Attendance Review Team (START) is an early intervention initiative. This program works in conjunction with the attendance protocol policy implemented by the DeKalb County School System.
After 10 unexcused absences the parent/guardian is referred to the Solicitor-General's Office and must attend a mandatory START meeting. At the START meeting parents/guardians sign a contract agreeing to send their student to school and acknowledging potential criminal prosecution for their failure to do so.
If a parent or guardian fails to attend a START meeting or abide by the attendance contract, the Solicitor-General will issue a citation to the parent or guardian for prosecution. If convicted, a parent faces a minimum fine of $25 and maximum fine of $100, incarceration up to 30 days, community service, or any combination thereof for each unexcused absence.
Attendance Protocol
| Unexcused Absences | School Action Per Occurrence |
| 1 - 2 | Parent/Guardian notified. |
| 3 - 5 | Parent/Guardian notified; student referred to counselor/assistant principal; and attendance contract signed |
| 6 - 7 | Parent/Guardian notified through written correspondence of the administrative and legal consequences of continued absences. |
| 8+ | Counselor will refer to social worker who will conduct a conference with parent/ guardian and student for assessment and/or possible referral to Juvenile Court, Solicitor-General's Office, DFACS, or other agency. |
What are lawful excuses for missing school?
• Illness
• Family emergency
• Funeral
• Religious holiday
• Instances where attendance could be hazardous as determined by the DeKalb County School System
• Service as a Page in the General Assembly
• Tests/physical exams for military service and the National Guard
What are unlawful excuses for missing school?
• Parent did not know school schedule
• Parent was sick
• Child stayed at home to baby-sit
• Child missed the bus
• Child overslept or was sleepy
• Child did not feel like going to school
• Nearly half of all dropouts ages 16-24 are unemployed
• High school dropouts earn an average of $270,000 less than graduates over the course of their lives
• For Georgia, this represents a $7.3 billion loss in earning potential
• In Georgia, more than 88% of all prison inmates are high school dropouts
• Each school failure costs society a minimum of $440,000 in lost earnings and taxes over the lifetime of the high school drop-out
• Dropouts are 6 times more likely to be unwed parents
• Dropouts are 7 ½ times more likely to be dependent on welfare