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, as education is considered essential for a child's development and future opportunities. Under Kansas statutes, a 'truant' is defined as a child required by law to attend school who is absent without a valid excuse for a significant part of the school day. The state's laws mandate that children between the ages of 7 and 18 must attend school. When a child is truant, the school is typically required to notify the parents or guardians and may also involve local authorities if the behavior persists. Truancy is addressed through civil procedures, often involving the juvenile court system, where the focus is on the best interest of the child. The court may impose various measures to address truancy, such as ordering the child to attend school, participate in counseling or educational programs, or in some cases, placing the child under the supervision of a court-appointed official. The goal is to correct the truant behavior rather than to punish, with an emphasis on providing support and resources to the child and family to encourage regular school attendance.