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 Ohio, truancy laws are primarily governed by the state's education code, which defines truancy and sets forth the procedures for addressing excessive school absences. Ohio refers to truancy as 'habitual truancy' and 'chronic truancy.' Habitual truants are students who are absent without a legitimate excuse for 30 or more consecutive hours, 42 or more hours in one school month, or 72 or more hours in a school year. Chronic truants are those with even more unexcused absences. Ohio law requires schools to take specific steps to address truancy, which includes notifying parents, developing an intervention plan, and providing counseling. If these measures fail, the matter may be referred to the juvenile court system. The courts aim to serve the best interest of the child, focusing on educational needs and support rather than punishment. The goal is to address the underlying issues causing truancy and to help the student return to regular school attendance.