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Truancy Program

CUTS (Court Unified Truancy Suppression) Program

OVERVIEW

The CUTS (Court Unified Truancy Suppression) Program has proven that the collaboration between the school, parents, students, and the probation department os effective in reducing truancy and subsequently curbing delinquent activity. Program forms are available in English and Spanish. 

The CUTS Direct-Cite Program provides schools with a protocol forms and support from the juvenile probation department. The protocol encourages the school to work with students exhibiting truant behavior via letters and conferences. If these attempts prove to be unsuccessful, the school then initiates a DIRECT-CITE Truancy Citation to the student with a hearing scheduled at the Juvenile Court Facility.

The CUTS LITE (Limited Intervention to Educate) Program was designed to deal with the younger students to address the issue of truancy with them prior to a citation being issued.

Arizona Revised Statutes 
15-803. School attendance; exemption; definitions

A. It is unlawful for any child between six and sixteen years of age to fail to attend school during the hours school is in session, unless either:

  1. The child is excused pursuant to section 15-802, subsection D or section 15-901, subsection A, paragraph 6, subdivision.
  2. The child is accompanied by a parent or a person authorized by the parent.
  3. The child is provided with instruction in a home school. 

B. A child who is habitually truant or who has excessive absences may be adjudicated an incorrigible child as defined in section 8-201. Absences may be considered excessive when the number of absent days exceeds ten percent of the number of required attendance days prescribed in section 15-802, subsection B, paragraph 1.

C. As used in this section:

  1. "Habitually truant" means a truant child who is truant for at least five school days within a school year. 
  2. "Truant" means an unexcused absence for at least one class period during the day. 
  3. "Truant child" means a child who is between six and sixteen years of age and who is not in attendance at a public or private school during the hours that school is in session, unless excused as provided by this section.