In Montana, parents play a big role in helping to make sure that their children attend school regularly as mandated by Montana Law (MCA 20-5-103).

It's important to understand the rules around school attendance to help your child succeed academically and so that you can avoid truancy issues. If your child attends school in Billings, the Billings Public Schools attendance policy, detailed in the Student/Parent Handbook under Procedure 3120P1, outlines the expectations and procedures regarding student attendance.

Compulsory Attendance Requirement

Parents are mandated to ensure that their children attend school starting at age seven until they reach 16 years of age or complete the eighth grade.

Dealing with Unexcused Absences

If your child is unable to go to school, please make sure to inform the school on the same day. This can change an unexcused absence to an excused one. Your communication is important in helping the school keep accurate attendance records.

Truancy Interventions

If a student has missed school four times without a good reason, someone from the Truancy Center will visit your home to talk about why your child has missed school.

Excused Absences and Documentation

If you don't let the school know when your child is absent, it will be considered an unexcused absence. If your child has missed school four times without a good reason, they will be sent to the Truancy Center for help. If these unexcused absences keep happening, there will be more meetings with the school and people from the Truancy Center to figure out what to do next.

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Consequences of Chronic Truancy

If your child keeps missing school without a good reason, it can cause big problems. After missing school six times without a good reason, you will need to meet with the Truancy Center Director and fill out a special form. If the truancy issue isn't fixed, it could be taken to the County Attorney's office for possible legal action. It's important to address any attendance issues before they get more serious.

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