CASCWA Guidance: SB 691 – Pupil Attendance and Truancy Notifications

Under current law, a pupil is considered truant if they are absent without a valid excuse for three full days or are tardy/absent for more than 30 minutes on three separate occasions. Schools are required to notify parents or guardians of the truancy, inform them of the possibility of prosecution, and recommend that they accompany their child to school for one day.

Beginning July 1, 2025, Senate Bill 691 (SB 691) will revise these requirements. Rather than issuing punitive notifications, schools will instead be required to inform families about available mental health resources and provide opportunities to meet with school personnel to support the student’s attendance.

This shift represents an important step toward a more supportive and holistic approach to student attendance, but it may also impose additional responsibilities on school districts. If the Commission on State Mandates determines that these changes constitute reimbursable state-mandated costs, districts will be eligible for reimbursement under existing statutory provisions.

To assist our members in complying with this new law, CASCWA has developed a sample notification letter that can be used to replace the current truancy notice. We encourage all members to review and adopt this updated language to ensure compliance and support for students and families.

 Letter of Truancy_3.20.2025.docx

Letter of Truancy (Spanish)