As alumni of Staley High School, it’s with appreciation and aspiration that I write this letter to you. I would like you to post an article in your newspaper regarding the truancy policy at Staley High. I believe that the policy needs further review and if the policy stands, the wording in the Staley High School handbook should be altered and/or reworded.

The policy now states that truancy is defined as a student being absent from a class or school without the knowledge and consent of the parents or the administration. A student is also considered truant if the student leaves school without the consent of the building administration. Truancy is a type of unexcused absence. A student is also considered truant if they:

• Are more than five minutes late to class without permission from a staff member
• Leave school without signing out of the building.
• Are absent from school without prior permission from your parent.
• Are absent from class without permission.
• Obtain a pass to go to a certain place and do not report there or you report there more than five minutes late.
• Do not report to class without a pass from the teacher in whose class you are enrolled.
• Become ill and go home or stay in the school building instead of reporting to the 
Student Services Center.
• Cutting class

While there is not an abundance of national truancy data, some metropolitan areas report thousands of unexcused absences each day. The problem is, how do we truly define these as truancies? Does being six minutes late still account for truancy? If you’re sick and stay in school because you have an exam last period, are you still counted as truant?

After reading this letter, I hope you can express my concerns with school administration. The policy in general isn’t a bad idea; truancy is an epidemic that is reaching the entire country at increasing speeds and with hopes that if we can truly define truancy, we can stop it.