ADMINISTRATIVE MEMORANDUM
To: School Principals
From: Dr. Bri Conley, Director of Educational Equity & Access
Date: October 15, 2026
During the July 2026 Administrator Institute, administrators received training on attendance interventions, chronic absenteeism, in-school truancy, and truancy procedures. This memo serves as a reminder of the formal truancy and compulsory education process.
Prior to students reaching formal truancy or compulsory education thresholds, schools need to identify attendance concerns, engage families, implement and document attendance supports, and monitor student progress. Attendance notifications are intended to increase family awareness and do not constitute an intervention. If a student accumulates 15 unexcused absences despite attendance interventions and supports, the formal truancy or compulsory education process begins. The following procedures apply only to students accumulating unexcused absences and entering the formal truancy or compulsory education process.
15-day Notice
The 15-day Compulsory Education Notice (Grades 1-6) or the 15-day Truancy Notice (Grades 7-12) are sent via certified mail or personal delivery and schools need to:
- Document the notice in PowerSchool.
- Meet with the student and family to review attendance concerns and barriers.
- Continue implementation of attendance interventions.
- Monitor the student's response to interventions.
- Maintain documentation of family engagement, intervention efforts, and outcomes.
Elementary Compulsory Education (Grades 1-6)
If a student reaches 20 unexcused absences after the 15-day Compulsory Education Notice has been sent, schools may schedule a consultation with me.
During the consultation, we will:
- Review attendance barriers, family engagement efforts, and intervention outcomes.
- Confirm that at least three interventions have been implemented and documented.
- Review the effectiveness of implemented interventions and identify additional non-punitive, individualized supports, including school-based, family-centered, and community-based interventions.
- Determine whether additional supports or referrals may be appropriate.
Regardless of consultation status, if school personnel have reason to believe a parent has not made a good-faith effort to ensure the child receives an appropriate education after receiving a Notice of Compulsory Education Violation, the principal should submit a DCFS report, including the information outlined in the DCFS reporting checklist in the SLCSD Attendance Guidebook.
Secondary Truancy (Grades 7-12)
If a student reaches 20 unexcused absences (habitual truancy) after the 15-day Truancy Notice has been sent, schedule a consultation with me.
During the consultation, we will:
- Review attendance data, barriers to attendance, family engagement efforts, and intervention outcomes.
- Confirm that at least three attendance interventions have been implemented and documented.
- Review the effectiveness of those interventions and the student's response to each intervention.
- Determine whether interventions should be continued, modified, or intensified.
- Identify additional individualized supports, including school-based, family-centered, community-based, or JJYS supports.
- Determine whether the student may meet criteria for a court referral.
Reaching 20 unexcused absences does not automatically result in a court referral. Court referral is a last-resort intervention. A student who meets the definition of habitual truancy is not automatically eligible for referral to court. Generally, referral may only be considered after the student has been alleged habitually truant on at least two occasions during the same school year and has previously been referred to evidence-based interventions or JJYS Prevention and Early Intervention Services.
While referrals are submitted to Juvenile Court, attendance cases are addressed through non-judicial interventions, such as mediation, probation, or other community-based supports.
For attendance intervention strategies and procedural guidance, refer to the SLCSD Attendance Guidebook in the DDC. The guidebook includes resources and processes for addressing chronic absenteeism, excused and unexcused absences, in-school truancy, and the formal truancy and compulsory education process.

