IT IS AGAINST ARKANSAS LAW FOR A JUVENILE TO BE HABITUALLY ABSENT FROM SCHOOL WITHOUT JUSTIFICATION.
If a school reports a juvenile as truant, the following will occur:
1.) The juvenile and family will be scheduled for a Truancy Day. The Court holds two a semester.
2.) On Truancy Day, the juvenile must appear with a parent or guardian and provide any documentation excusing the juvenile's absences/tardies from school.
3.) The Juvenile and family will meet with a Juvenile Officer who will determine:
a.) the Juvenile was justifiably truant and no further action
will be taken; or
b.) the Juvenile was truant, but the truancies were not
extreme and the Juvenile will be offerred a diversion (an
opportunity to attend school without further
absences or tardies for a set period and then no case will be
filed); or
c.) a FINS petition will be filed and the Juvenile and family
will appear before Judge Wood for an adjudication (trial)
and if found true then the juvenile and family will be under the
Court's supervision.
COMMON SANCTIONS IF A JUVENILE IS FOUND HABITUALLY TRUANT:
-Counseling
-Curfew
-Community Service
-A Day for a Day - If a juvenile is ordered to attend school and fails to attend or is habitually tardy, Judge Wood's standard contempt order is for the Juvenile or the parent to spend a day in jail for each school absence or 3 tardies.
-$500.00 Truancy Fine