Is it legal for NC parents to let their kids skip school? Here’s what state law says
North Carolina children between the ages of 7 and 16 are required to attend school, but data show a large portion of kids are missing class time.
According to data from MyFutureNC, a statewide nonprofit focused on educational attainment, North Carolina’s chronic absenteeism rate is 31%, meaning nearly a third of K-12 students missed 10% or more of school days during the 2021-22 school year.
There are many reasons why kids could miss school.
Parents can keep their children home from school if they get sick, or if a family emergency arises, resulting in excused absences on their records.
Some parents may let their children skip school for no particular reason and accumulate unexcused absences. But is it legal? Here’s what North Carolina law says.
Can NC parents legally let K-12 kids skip school?
According to state law, it’s illegal for parents of school-aged children to knowingly allow them to skip school.
Children are allowed to miss school if they are sick, or because of another “unavoidable cause that does not constitute unlawful absence,” according to the law.
Principals are required to authorize a minimum of two excused absences per year due to a religious observance, or if a parent has been called to military duty, the law says.
What is the penalty for letting kids skip school?
North Carolina’s Compulsory Attendance Law requires schools to record excused and unexcused absences for all students. It also requires schools to notify parents after their child accumulates three unexcused absences.
After 10 unexcused absences in a school year, school officials are required to notify the district attorney and director of social services in the county where they reside, according to the law.
Parents found guilty of violating the law can be charged with a class 1 misdemeanor, punishable by up to 150 days in jail.
This story was originally published December 28, 2023 at 3:11 PM.
