Skip To Main Content

Logo Image

Logo Title

Truancy Phase

atr

 

WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT DURING THE TRUANCY PHASE?
The Early Warning Attendance Hearing is phase one of Truancy.  Students and Parents will be notified by the Walker County Juvenile Probation Office after a child accumulates 5 Unexcused Absences for a Hearing.  These will take place on Monday mornings from 7:45-8:30 a.m. at the Walker County Courthouse.
Further Unexcused Absences accumulated, thereafter, may result in a multi-agency meeting in the Juvenile Probation Office (Phase Two).
Phase three of Truancy may result in legal action. Ensuring school attendance is a parental responsibility. Failure to comply with the compulsory school attendance law is a Class C Misdemeanor offense punishable by a fine and/or up to 90 days in jail against the parent or guardian. Alabama Code Section 16-28-12 (c) requires that the District Attorney’s Office vigorously enforces this law to ensure the required attendance by any child enrolled in public school.
A complaint may be filed with the Circuit Clerk’s Office to initiate a criminal filing in cases where the parent and/or guardian fail to send their children to school and do not participate in the Early Warning Program.