School districts: truancy.

Existing law defines a truant as any pupil subject to compulsory full-time education or to compulsory continuation education who is absent from school without a valid excuse 3 full days in one school year, or tardy or absent for more than any 30-minute period during the schoolday without a valid excuse on 3 occasions in one school year, or any combination thereof. Existing law specifies that a pupil who is required to be reported as a truant is subject to specified penalties for the first through 4th instances that a truancy report is issued to a pupil. This bill would identify specific reasons that constitute a valid excuse for which a pupil may be absent from school for purposes of being classified as a truant. The bill would revise certain penalties resulting from the issuance of specified truancy reports and would specify that the first time a truancy report is issued, the pupil and, as appropriate, the pupil's parent or legal guardian, may be requested to attend a meeting with a school counselor or other school designee to discuss the root causes of the attendance issue and develop a joint plan to improve the pupil's attendance. The bill would specify that the 2nd time a truancy report is issued, the pupil may be personally given a written warning by a peace officer, as specified, and that the 4th time a truancy report is issued, a pupil who is adjudged a ward of the court may instead be required to pay a fine of not more than $50, as specified. The bill also would make nonsubstantive changes to these provisions.