The purpose of the Child Welfare & Attendance Office is to coordinate services that will help students and families experience success in school.  CWA clients include families with students who are:

• Homeless

• Truant

• Expelled

• Dis-enrolled

• Dropped out

• On Probation

• Foster Youth

Who has to go to school?

California compulsory education law REQUIRES everyone between the ages of 6 and 18 years of age to attend school.  The one exception is for 16 and 17 year olds who have graduated from high school or passed the California High School Proficiency Examination (CHSPE) and obtained parental permission to leave school.

How can the CWA office help?

• We assist students and families to help identify needs and develop a plan that may offer resources and solutions.

• Assist students to identify and enroll in appropriate educational placement.

• Monitor school attendance.

• Assist students in fulfilling School Attendance Review Board (SARB), expulsion and probation contracts.

Who else does the CWA office work with?

• Local schools

• Law enforcement

• Counseling agencies

• District Attorney

• Behavioral/Mental Health

• Community organizations

• Probation

• Parent training agencies

• Welfare

• Peer Court

• Family/Juvenile Court

• Child Death Review Team

• Foster Youth Placement Unit

• Children's Services Coordinating Council

• Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council and Commission

What is the Definition of a Truant Student?

A pupil who is absent from school without valid excuse for three days in one school year, or is tardy or absent for more than any 30 minute period during the school year without a valid excuse on three occasions in one school year, or any combination of the above.  Education Code § 48260.

What is the Truancy Notification Process?

At a minimum of 3 unexcused 30-minute absences the school may send Truancy Notification #1 home. The CWA office may receive a copy and forward the letter to the County Welfare office who may send a warning letter, regarding the requirement of school attendance in order to receive cash aid.

Upon a minimum of 4 unexcused 30-minute absences the school may send Truancy Notification #2 home. The CWA office may receive a copy and forward the letter to the County Welfare who again may send a warning letter.  The District Attorney's office may send a Informational Letter, citing the legal consequences for parents and students who are truant.

Upon a minimum of 5 unexcused 30-minute absences the school may send a notification of Habitual Truancy home and request a school, parent, student conference.  The Welfare office may request a conference for those parents receiving aid.  If the student is on Probation, their probation officer will be notified.  The student and a parent may be expected to attend a one session Truancy Awareness Class.

If the student continues to be truant, the student and parent will be expected to attend a "hearing" regarding the truancy.

If the student is in grades first through eighth the parent and student may be expected to attend a School Attendance Review Board Hearing.

If the student is in grades ninth through twelfth the parent and student may be expected to attend a District Attorney's Truancy Mediation Hearing.

If truancy continues after the hearings have been held, either parent or student of both may be cited and referred to Truancy Court.

SARB (School Attendance Review Board)

A community program and district program to provide support and intervention to meet the special needs of students with school attendance and discipline problems.

What Is The School Attendance Review Board (SARB) (1st through 8th grade)

New:  2009 SARB Manual (Click to open)

In 1975 the California Legislature created SARBs.  Their intent was to develop new ways of coordinating school, community, and home efforts to deal with student attendance and behavior problems.  Districts and community programs join together to provide support and intervention to meet the special needs of students with school attendance and discipline problems.

SARBs were designed to maximize the use of all available resources and services, avoid unnecessary duplication of resources, to resolve attendance and behavior problems, and divert students with school-related problems from the juvenile justice system.

Local SARBs are composed of parents, representatives from the school district, and members of the community at large, including representative from law enforcement, welfare, probation, mental health, district attorney's office and various youth services agencies.

The members meet regularly to combine their expertise and resources on behalf of the students referred to them.  They work collaboratively to diagnose the problem and recommend alternative solutions to alleviate circumstances that contribute to specific truancy, attendance, or behavior problems.

What is Truancy Mediation? (9th through 12th grade)

As students get older, more accountability is expected of them.  The District Attorney may determine that a truant High School or possibly a Jr. High student is responsible for their own truancy.  If after repeated letters and warnings and meeting with the student and parent, the student continues to be truant the District Attorney's office may file a Welfare and Institutions Code violation 601b - Habitual Truancy against the student.

Possible Consequences:

Parent:

 

Infraction (Education Code 48293)

• Fine (ranging from $100 to $500 and court fees) (EC 48293)

• Court ordered to deliver student to school daily  (EC 48268)

• Pay a $200 bond to the school district to assure attendance (EC 48269)

• Court ordered to attend Parent Education or Counseling Program (EC 48293)

Misdemeanor (Education Code 48454 or Penal Code 272)

• Fine (ranging from $50 to $2,000 and court fees)
  and/or

  • One year County jail (maximum)

  • Five years Probation (maximum)

 Student

• Ward of the Court   (W&I 601b)

• Probation (W&I 601b)

• Community Service (20 hours minimum to 40 hours maximum, non-school hours)
  (EC 48264.5d)

• Fine - $100 (EC 48264.5d)

• Delay/Suspend Driver's License for 1 year  (EC 48264.5d)
  (can be imposed up to 4 times)

• Court Ordered programs/assignments (EC 48264.5d)

• (Saturday School; Work Accountability, etc)

• Revoke/Suspend Work Permit  (EC 49100)

• Reduce or eliminate Public Assistance (welfare) to family (W&I 11253.5)

Butte County Countywide Expulsion Plan

Current law authorized governing school boards to expel students for specified offenses and categorizes the offenses by degree of seriousness and the corresponding amount of discretion governing boards have in responding to them.  Click here to review the Butte County Countywide Expulsion Plan.  

 

For more information contact:

Child Welfare and Attendance
Butte County Office of Education
1870 Bird Street
Phone: (530) 532-5745
Fax: (530) 532-5747
Click Here to Email Us

Lee Wood, Administrator
Sheri Hanni - SARB Coordinator
Meagan Meloy - Program Coordinator
 

New! Parents are Partners Guide (click here to download) 2MB
This booklet is an effort to help you understand your child, and you, as the parent and the schools as you work together to help your child be successful.