Comments on: What will happen to me if I ditch school?

By: Chelsea

Chelsea — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 19:11:56 +0000

In 10th grade I was caught ditching school (for the first and last time) and I was given a ticket and court date. I went to court and they gave me the option to either go to a class or pay the fine. I couldn’t go to the class because I was gone all summer and I couldn’t pay the fine because I don’t have a job and my family has some financial difficulties. I recently turned 18 and I was wondering what I should do to clear up this mess. Does it clear off my record? Do i still need to pay it?
Also, I live in California.
Dear Chelsea: The best thing to do is to call the court and ask about the status of your case. It may have been dismissed now that you’re an adult and truancy doesn’t apply to you anymore. You may have to pay the fine still or attend the class to get this closed out. But it would be worth it to have a clean record move on with your life, hassle free. Good luck.
[This is information only - not legal advice].

By: Omar

Omar — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 02:12:13 +0000

Hi, id like to know since i was cought ditching school twice as a “minor” would this carry on as a misdeameanor? im tring to get a job as a law enforcement officer but before applying on anything id like to know if that would disqualify me?
Dear Omar: Unless you went to court on the truancy charge and either admitted it or were found guilty by the court, you wouldn’t have a record. If you think you have a record, now that you’re 18 or older, you may be eligible to apply for expungement of your record. Call the court and ask about this. Good luck.
[This is information only - not legal advice].

By: anynomous

anynomous — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 00:35:11 +0000

during january 2010 in my senior year i recieved a letter from the school reading all my 1st period unexcused absences (over 40) then it sayd i was reported to the school attendances board the letter also say i could get fined 2500 dollars despite that i was still absent for my 1st period class but they no longer bother me with letter. i just finished high school 1 week ago and just turned 18 2 days ago ended up with a total of 76 absences on 1st period n 11 days full absences most unexcused(this doesnt include 11 grade where i had 65 absences for 1st i have difficulty waking up early) anyways can i still get in trouble or did i get lucky considering the fact i live in los angeles ca and truancy is kinda normal thing here.
Dear Anonymous: It sounds like you got lucky if you just finished high school considering the number of unexcused absences. Once you turn 18 in most states, the truancy laws don’t apply. We hope you have some plans for your future now that you’re out of school. Good luck.
[This is information only - noy legal advice].

By: anonymous

anonymous — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 19:33:04 +0000

hi i live in utah and during the year i missed alot of school due to being way sick i missed 4 days of school while i was on probation and i got a call from my probation officer and she was way mad cause of those four days i dont know what is going to happen can something bad happen to me?
Dear Anonymous: It depends on the terms of your probation and the circumstances of the missed days (whether they were excused or unexcused absences). Provide any documentation you have to your probation officer such as a doctor’s note or even a note from your parents showing why you missed those four days. If the missed days violated your probation, your probation officer could impose additional consequences. Perhaps you could try talking to him or her explaining why you missed those days and ask if there will be any consequences. Good luck.
[This is information only - not legal advice.]

By: Diana

Diana — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 21:30:41 +0000

hey my names Diana. im currently 17. ive had truancy bout 4 times already and i have another court date next monday. Can i go to jail? well whats the most possible thing that could happen? my parents wont pay any money no more.
Dear Diana: If you mean you’ve been to court four times on truancy charges, there is a possibility the court could give you some detention time – maybe a few weekends. That depends on the truancy laws in your state. Don’t miss your court date or any more school and you won’t have this problem. Your parents shouldn’t have to work so they can pay your fines. Think about them for a moment. Good luck.
[This is information only - not legal advice].

By: cherie

cherie — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 04:40:03 +0000

My son missed many school days here and there that started to add up. He Finished out the school year and only failed one class due to housing issues that led him to miss around 40 school days but like i said he finished and he plays sports. he was recently notified that his license was suspended. He has no court date and he is now on summer vacation. We are wondering sice his licence was suspended for the days he missed during the school year then what does he have to do to get his license back. he plays basketball during the summer and needs a license to attend practice and games for his school summer program. What does he do now that it is summer. We live in Florida
Dear Cherie: He may be out of luck this summer because Florida laws authorize the suspension of teen driver’s licenses for missing too much school and the reinstatement of his license requires 30 continuous days of school attendance. Take a look at your state’s Motor Vehicle website http://www.flhsmv.gov/teens/parent_gdl.html
for the details and information on this subject. Good luck.
[This is information only - not legal advice].

By: yolanda

yolanda — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 17:21:46 +0000

my daughter was court appointed to attend bootcamp, but i as her mother cant afford the fees. what do i do? i am a single mother withe 3 children. i work 2 days a week and also in nursing school. the bootcamp keeps harassing me about payments. i told the courts before we left the courts that i could not afford the bootcamp. what do i do?
Yolanda: If your daughter has a probation officer, explain the situation to him or her. You could also write to the judge who ordered her into the program and ask for assistance. Ask the program director if they have a payment schedule you could be put on. You can’t be the only parent in this situation, especially in today’s economy. Good luck.
[This is information only - not legal advice].

By: Lori

Lori — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 07:36:01 +0000

So lately, I started to ditch classes. But at first it was to study for other classes, and now it’s to either sleep or study for tests. I really don’t want my parents to know about it. And the school’s sent three letters telling them about at least 6 partial or full days of unexcused absences. I really REALLY don’t want my parents to know I’ve ditched class. I know ditching class was a really stupid move and as a Junior now, I’m glad I learned it. So I won’t make the same mistake in Senior year. But, what can I do to get these cleared without telling my parents “I’ve been ditching class”. I live in California, they say I can be brought into court. This scares me a lot and that’s a good enough motivator for me to not ditch. I know I’ve also been late to some classes in the mornings or just because I had to ask the teacher a question or so. I know I haven’t exceeded the legal amount of ditches (36) yet. But, what should I do? I’m not..a bad student am I? I mean I have passing grades and I try my best in school; I’ve only started ditching recently and I stopped too. Really…what can I do and what should I do?
Dear Lori: If you have received three letters from the school and your parents don’t know about this yet, you must be getting the mail, right? Obviously the school is keeping track of your absences. The next step may be a phone call to your parents and then they’ll know what’s happened. We can’t tell you what to do about the past but you know what you need to do from now on. It’s true that under state law and your school district’s rules, a truancy complaint can be filed with a court. If that happens you and your parents will have to appear before a judge and you could be placed on probation, etc. Speak with your attendance office about past unexcused absences and make those the last ones. Consider telling your parents before they find out from someone else. Good luck.
[This is information only - not legal advice].

By: Marisa

Marisa — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 04:31:26 +0000

Hi. I recieved a truancy ticket when I was 16, went to court three times since then. Fulfilled all my obligations and graduated highschool at 18. At my last court hearing I gave them evidence of my community service as well as my diploma. My ticket was dismissed but I still had to pay a fine. Do I have to still pay that fine now that I completed my obligations or will that fine, initally recieved when I was 17, become a warrant? Will this fine hinder my chances of getting my drivers license in the state of Texas even after 5 years?
Dear Marisa: If you had a probation officer assigned to you when all of this happened, contact him or her with these questions. Every state has its own laws regarding juvenile offenses and the consequences for nonpayment of court-ordered fines, restitution, etc. Now that you’re an adult, there may not be a warrant out for your arrest, but there could be a civil judgment against you for not paying the fine. That could affect your credit and ability to get on with your life without additional hassle and red tape. Good luck.
[This is information only - not legal advice].

By: jackson

jackson — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 02:13:05 +0000

Just wondering, does the term “Unexcused Absence” apply to the whole day, or 1+ period(s) missed? Thanks.
Dear Jackson: You’ll have to check your Student Handbook or ask the attendance officer at school. Every school district sets its own rules regarding absences and the definitions of what constitutes an absence. It may also be a matter of state law. Some schools count a tardy as an absence for that period.
[This is information only - not legal advice].