Subdivision 1. Establishment. (a) Community-based truancy projects and service centers may be established to:

(1) provide for identification of students with school attendance problems;

(2) facilitate the provision of services geared to address the underlying issues that are contributing to a student's truant behavior; and

(3) provide facilities to receive truant students from peace officers and probation officers.

(b) Truancy projects and service centers may provide any of these services and shall provide for referral of children and families to other appropriate programs and services.

Subd. 2. Community-based action projects. Schools, community agencies, law enforcement, parent associations, and other interested groups may cooperate to provide coordinated intervention, prevention, and educational services for truant students and their families. Services may include:

(1) assessment for underlying issues that are contributing to the child's truant behavior;

(2) referral to other community-based services for the child and family, such as individual or family counseling, educational testing, psychological evaluations, tutoring, mentoring, and mediation;

(3) transition services to integrate the child back into school and to help the child succeed once there;

(4) culturally sensitive programming and staffing; and

(5) increased school response, including in-school suspension, better attendance monitoring and enforcement, after-school study programs, and in-service training for teachers and staff.

Subd. 3. Truancy service centers. (a) Truancy service centers may be established as facilities to receive truant students from peace officers and probation officers and provide other appropriate services. A truancy service center may:

(1) assess a truant student's attendance situation, including enrollment status, verification of truancy, and school attendance history;

(2) assist in coordinating intervention efforts where appropriate, including checking with juvenile probation and children and family services to determine whether an active case is pending and facilitating transfer to an appropriate facility, if indicated; and evaluating the need for and making referral to a health clinic, chemical dependency treatment, protective services, social or recreational programs, or other school or community-based services and programs described in subdivision 2;

(3) contact the parents or legal guardian of the truant student and release the truant student to the custody of the parents, guardian, or other suitable person; and

(4) facilitate the student's earliest possible return to school.

(b) Truancy service centers may not accept:

(1) juveniles taken into custody for violations of law that would be crimes if committed by adults;

(2) intoxicated juveniles;

(3) ill or injured juveniles; or

(4) juveniles older than mandatory school attendance age.

(c) Truancy service centers may expand their service capability in order to receive curfew violators and take appropriate action, such as coordination of intervention efforts, contacting parents, and developing strategies to ensure that parents assume responsibility for their children's curfew violations.

History: 1995 c 226 art 3 s 40