TRUANCY

Qualifications and Conditions

• If excessive truancy is an ongoing issue, despite supportive services being offered/provided by the school, a student can be referred to the Regional Office of Education upon accruing 7 absences without valid cause (unexcused). The following criteria must also be met in order to make a referral.
• Students must be at least 6 years old, but no older than 16 ½  
• Schools must hold a parent conference prior to referral
• Students on probation cannot be referred until court services have been dismissed
• Referred cases with a well documented chronic illness may be denied upon review

Once a complete referral is received, the parents/guardians will receive the first official notification from the ROE, indicating the concerns raised to the ROE, their legal obligations for regular school attendance for their child, and possible outcomes of continued truancy. The person that initiates the referral and the school administrator will be copied on all communications and will be requested to continue to inform the ROE of any further issues with school attendance.

TAOEP - Truant Alternative Optional Education Program

The LaSalle/Marshall/Putnam Optional Education Program (OpEd) is a short-term alternative education program, which began in 2014 following the awarding of a grant through the Illinois State Board of Education. It is designed to provide educational opportunities to students who have been identified as truants, chronic truants, and potential dropouts in their regular school settings in LaSalle, Marshall, & Putnam counties. The mission of the Optional Education Program is to provide a safe and positive environment where students can learn as they strive to become independent, productive and responsible citizens. It focuses on building each individual's academic, behavioral, and social skills to facilitate greater success both in the classroom while in the Optional Education Program, as well as when they return to their Home School Districts (HSD's) or into the community after graduation.


For further referral information please contact Tyler Amm at tamm@roe35.org or 815.434.0780