Horne, Maricopa Co. Sheriff Sheridan urge more action to battle truancy, absenteeism

MCSO pledges help as resource for parents and school districts

PHOENIX – in response to the 30 percent statewide chronic absenteeism rate in Arizona, state schools chief Tom Horne and Maricopa County Sheriff Jerry Sheridan are urging law enforcement, the courts, parents and schools to make sure school-aged students are attending school and any violations of state law are promptly addressed by the legal system.

Data provided to the State Board of Education last month by the Helios Foundation shows that absenteeism rates skyrocketed for all grade levels from approximately nine percent during the 2019-20 school year to 30 percent in the 2022-23 school year.

Arizona defines chronic absence as missing 10 percent or more of the school year for any reason while enrolled at a given school. This results in 18 days missed in a typical 180-day school year assuming a student does not change schools.

Horne said, “I am grateful to Sheriff Jerry Sheridan for his willingness to serve as a resource for parents and school districts around the county who are dealing with this issue of repeated truancies. We have to create a motivation for parents to be sure their children go to school, and when willful violations of the law occur, they are prosecuted, which unfortunately has not always been the case. We urge city attorneys to treat truancy cases brought to them as a priority.”

He added, “The idea that a third of our students are missing 18 days of school or more is a real catastrophe and an emergency for our state. Students cannot learn if they are not in school. We need radical efforts to solve this problem. I continue to urge schools to adopt measures that call for nine unexcused absences resulting in a student failing a course and five tardies counting as an absence. I am also asking law enforcement officers to raise their awareness about this problem and be willing to issue citations for truancy and that the courts vigorously prosecute.”

Sheriff Sheridan has offered to bring awareness to the truancy issue and reinforce that students need to be in school. Under Arizona law, if parents knowingly and willingly allow their children to miss school they are in violation of a Class 3 misdemeanor. Any certified law enforcement officer in Arizona is empowered to cite parents under this law.

Sheridan said, “It isn’t safe for young kids to be out of school and wandering the streets. It’s critical that our kids are in school getting a proper education to prepare them for their future. Our first objective will be to determine if the parents need help in ensuring their children are attending school.”

He added, “Parents who fail to get their children to school are committing a misdemeanor offense and if any parents have children that refuse to attend school, those children will be dealt with at the juvenile court level.”

Dysart Unified School District Superintendent John Croteau added, “As a school district, we believe that every day in class matters. Consistent attendance is key to academic achievement, personal growth, and building strong habits for the future. Our absenteeism policy is designed to support students and families in overcoming barriers to regular attendance. The instruction delivered by our teachers in the classroom is irreplaceable—engaging, personalized, and built on daily progress. When students are present, they not only receive high-quality instruction, but also gain the skills and confidence needed to succeed.”

Under Arizona law in A.R.S. 15-802, all children between the ages of 6 and 16 years are mandated to attend an academic school where they learn, at a minimum, reading, grammar, math, social studies, and science.

A child is considered truant when they have an unexcused absence for at least one class period during the school day or they are not in attendance at school during normal school hours, except as allowed by statute. They are habitually truant if they have missed at least 5 school days within the school year.