The Florida Senate

232.17  Enforcement of school attendance.--Pursuant to procedures established by the district school board, a designated school representative must complete activities designed to determine the cause and attempt the remediation of truant behavior, as provided in this section.

(1)  INVESTIGATE NONENROLLMENT AND UNEXCUSED ABSENCES.--A designated school representative shall investigate cases of nonenrollment and unexcused absences from school of all children subject to compulsory school attendance.

(2)  GIVE WRITTEN NOTICE.--Under the direction of the superintendent, a designated school representative shall give written notice, in person or by return-receipt mail, to the parent, guardian, or other person having control when no valid reason is found for a child's nonenrollment in school or when the child has a minimum of 3 but fewer than 6 unexcused absences within 90 calendar days, requiring enrollment or attendance within 3 days after the date of notice. If the notice and requirement are ignored, the designated school representative shall report the case to the superintendent, and may refer the case to the case staffing committee, established pursuant to s. 984.12, if the conditions of s. 232.19(3) have been met. The superintendent may take such steps as are necessary to bring criminal prosecution against the parent, guardian, or other person having control.

(3)  RETURN CHILD TO PARENT.--A designated school representative shall visit the home or place of residence of a child and any other place in which he or she is likely to find any child who is required to attend school when such child is not enrolled or is absent from school during school hours without an excuse, and, when the child is found, shall return the child to his or her parent or to the principal or teacher in charge of the school, or to the private tutor from whom absent.

(4)  REPORT TO THE DIVISION OF JOBS AND BENEFITS.--A designated school representative shall report to the Division of Jobs and Benefits of the Department of Labor and Employment Security or to any person acting in similar capacity who may be designated by law to receive such notices, all violations of the Child Labor Law that may come to his or her knowledge.

(5)  RIGHT TO INSPECT.--A designated school representative shall have the same right of access to, and inspection of, establishments where minors may be employed or detained as is given by law to the Division of Jobs and Benefits only for the purpose of ascertaining whether children of compulsory school age are actually employed there and are actually working there regularly. The designated school representative shall, if he or she finds unsatisfactory working conditions or violations of the Child Labor Law, report his or her findings to the Division of Jobs and Benefits or its agents.

¹(6)  RESUMING SERIES.--If a child repeats a pattern of nonattendance within one school year, the designated school representative shall resume the series of escalating activities at the point at which he or she had previously left off.

History.--s. 617, ch. 19355, 1939; CGL 1940 Supp. 892(188); s. 10, ch. 26484, 1951; s. 54, ch. 29764, 1955; ss. 17, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 1, ch. 69-300; s. 100, ch. 72-221; s. 1, ch. 73-283; s. 13, ch. 79-7; s. 3, ch. 81-103; s. 10, ch. 81-192; s. 7, ch. 83-174; s. 7, ch. 84-255; s. 48, ch. 85-80; s. 1264, ch. 95-147; s. 2, ch. 95-345; s. 7, ch. 96-369; s. 26, ch. 97-190; s. 8, ch. 97-234; s. 20, ch. 98-280.

¹Note.--This material added by s. 8, ch. 97-234. Section 26, ch. 97-190, deleted the former text of this provision, which had been amended by s. 8, ch. 97-234.