§ 6-18-222 - Penalty for excessive unexcused absences -- Revocation of driving privilege. - Arkansas Statutes

6-18-222. Penalty for excessive unexcused absences -- Revocation of driving privilege.

(a) (1) (A) (i) The board of directors of each school district in this state shall adopt a student attendance policy, as provided for in 6-18-209, which shall include a certain number of excessive absences that may be used as a basis for denial of course credit, promotion, or graduation.

(ii) However, excessive absences shall not be a basis for expulsion or dismissal of a student.

(B) The legislative intent is that a student having excessive absences because of illness, accident, or other unavoidable reasons should be given assistance in obtaining credit for the courses.

(2) The State Board of Workforce Education and Career Opportunities shall adopt a student attendance policy for sixteen-year-olds and seventeen-year-olds enrolled in an adult education program. The policy shall require a minimum attendance of ten (10) hours per week to remain in the program.

(3) A copy of the school district's student attendance policy or the board's student attendance policy for sixteen-year-olds and seventeen-year-olds enrolled in adult education shall be provided to the students' parents, guardians, or persons in loco parentis at the beginning of the school year or upon enrollment, whichever event first occurs.

(4) (A) A student's parents, guardians, or persons in loco parentis and the community truancy board shall be notified when the student has accumulated excessive unexcused absences equal to one-half (1/2) the total number of absences permitted per semester under the school district's or the board's student attendance policy. Notice shall be by telephonic contact with the student's parents, guardians, or persons in loco parentis by the end of the school day in which the absence occurred or by regular mail with a return address on the envelope sent no later than the following school day. Notice to the community truancy board shall be by letter to the chair of the community truancy board.

(B) The community truancy board shall schedule a conference with the parents, guardians, or persons in loco parentis to establish a plan to take steps to eliminate or reduce the student's unexcused absences.

(C) If the student's parents, guardians, or persons in loco parentis do not attend the scheduled conference, the conference may be conducted with the student and a school official. However, the parent, guardian or person in loco parentis shall be notified of the steps to be taken to eliminate or reduce the child's absence.

(5) (A) Whenever a student exceeds the number of excessive unexcused absences provided for in the district's or the board's student attendance policy, the school district or the adult education program shall notify the prosecuting authority and the community truancy board, and the student's parents, guardians, or persons in loco parentis shall be subject to a civil penalty through a family in need of services action in circuit court, as authorized under subdivision (a)(6)(A) of this section, but not to exceed five hundred dollars ($500) plus costs of court and any reasonable fees assessed by the court.

(B) The penalty shall be forwarded by the court to the school or the adult education program attended by the student.

(6) (A) (i) Upon notification by the school district or the adult education program to the prosecuting authority, the prosecuting authority shall file in circuit court a family in need of services petition pursuant to 9-27-310 or enter into a diversion agreement with the student pursuant to 9-27-323.

(ii) For any action filed in circuit court to impose the civil penalty set forth in subdivision (a)(5) of this section, the prosecuting authority shall be exempt from all filing fees and shall take whatever action is necessary to collect the penalty provided for in subdivision (a)(5) of this section.

(B) Municipal attorneys may practice in circuit court for the limited purpose of filing petitions or entering into diversion agreements as authorized by this subdivision (a)(6)(B) if agreed upon by all of the parties pursuant to subdivision (a)(6)(A) of this section.

(7) (A) The purpose of the penalty set forth in this subsection is to impress upon the parents, guardians, or persons in loco parentis the importance of school or adult education attendance, and the penalty is not to be used primarily as a source of revenue.

(B) (i) When assessing penalties, the court shall be aware of any available programs designed to improve the parent-child relationship or parenting skills.

(ii) When practicable and appropriate, the court may utilize mandatory attendance at the programs as well as community service requirements in lieu of monetary penalties.

(8) As used in this section, "prosecuting authority" means:

(A) The elected district prosecuting attorney or his or her appointed deputy for schools located in unincorporated areas of the county or within cities not having a police or district court; and

(B) The prosecuting attorney of the city for schools located within the city limits of cities having either a police court or a district court in which a city prosecutor represents the city for violations of city ordinances or traffic violations.

(9) In any instance in which it is found that the school district, the adult education program, or the prosecuting authority is not complying with the provisions of this section, the State Board of Education may petition the circuit court to issue a writ of mandamus.

(b) (1) (A) Each public, private, or parochial school shall notify the Department of Finance and Administration whenever a student fourteen (14) years of age or older is no longer in school.

(B) Each adult education program shall notify the department whenever a student sixteen (16) or seventeen (17) years of age has left the program without receiving a high school equivalency certificate.

(2) (A) Upon receipt of notification, the department shall notify the licensee by certified mail, return receipt requested, that his or her motor vehicle operator's license will be suspended unless a hearing is requested in writing within thirty (30) days from the date of notice.

(B) The licensee shall be entitled to retain or regain his or her license by providing the department with adequate evidence that:

(i) The licensee is eighteen (18) years of age;

(ii) The licensee is attending school or an adult education program; or

(iii) The licensee has obtained a high school diploma or its equivalent.

(C) (i) In cases in which demonstrable financial hardship would result from the suspension of the learner's permit or driver's license, the department may grant exceptions only to the extent necessary to ameliorate the hardship.

(ii) If it can be demonstrated that the conditions for granting a hardship were fraudulent, the parent, guardian, or person in loco parentis shall be subject to all applicable perjury statutes.

(3) The department shall have the power to promulgate rules and regulations to carry out the intent of this section and shall distribute to each public, private, and parochial school and each adult education program a copy of all rules and regulations adopted under this section.