A truant is a student who stays away from school without permission or an explanation. Truancy laws are designed to encourage school attendance by creating simple court procedures through which children are held accountable for excessive school absences. The courts focus on the best interest of the child when addressing the truant conduct of a child.

Truant conduct is usually prosecuted or addressed as a civil (noncriminal) matter, and the definition and procedures for dealing with truancy are usually located in a state's statutes—often in the family code or education code.

In Kansas, truancy laws are established to ensure that children attend school regularly and to hold them accountable for excessive unexcused absences. Under Kansas law, a child is considered truant if they are required to attend school under the Kansas Compulsory Attendance Law and have unexcused absences for a significant part of the school day on either three consecutive days, five or more days in any semester, or seven or more days in any school year. Truancy is addressed as a civil matter, and the statutes governing truancy can be found in the Kansas Statutes Annotated (K.S.A.), particularly in the education code. When a child is found to be truant, the court proceedings focus on the best interest of the child, and interventions are designed to address the underlying issues contributing to the truant behavior. The goal is to return the student to regular school attendance rather than to punish. Parents or guardians may also be held responsible for their child's truancy and can face legal consequences if they contribute to the truancy or fail to compel their child to attend school.