What constitutes a chronic truant?

A chronic truant is defined as a student who is absent without valid consent for a specified percentage of required school days, typically set at more than 5%. This definition emphasizes the importance of consistent attendance and recognizes that repeated absences, even if they seem minor individually, can lead to significant gaps in learning and academic performance.

The focus on being absent without legitimate justification underscores the need for accountability in school attendance. It is also an important distinction because it differentiates between students who may be legitimately absent due to illness or other valid reasons and those whose frequent absences may indicate deeper issues that need addressing, such as disengagement from school or potential social or family problems.

In contrast, the other options either do not meet the criteria for chronic truancy or imply circumstances that provide acceptable reasons for absence, thereby falling outside the definition of chronic truancy.