The Truancy Intervention Program serves students K-12 in 13 school districts throughout Menard and Sangamon counties.  Truancy Case Workers provide the following intervention services to truant students and their families.

• Home visits                                
• Social Service Referrals
• Student visits                                            
• Truancy Review Board Hearings
• School Visits                                              
• Liaison between family & school
• Phone Calls                                
• Court intervention

A truant is defined as a child subject to compulsory school attendance who is absent without valid cause on a given school day or portion thereof (105 ILCS 5/26-2a).

A chronic truant is a child subject to compulsory attendance who is absent without valid cause for 5% or more of the previous 180 school days (9 or more unexcused absences in the past 180 days) [105 ILCS 5/26-2a].

If the student does not make adequate progress after the notices and interventions, they are referred to the Truancy Review Board (TRB) for a hearing. The purpose of the TRB hearing is to address the issues leading to the student’s truancy, collaboratively work to alleviate the student’s barriers to attendance, link the family to social service agencies and develop an individual improvement plan.  The TRB is comprised of social service agency representatives, school administrators, truancy case workers and community members. 

If the student fails to comply with attendance laws and continues to receive unexcused absences, the Case Workers will refer the student and/or parent to the Juvenile States Attorney's office for prosecution of either Educational Neglect or Truant in Need of Supervision.