Section 18 Notice to parent or guardian and meeting with school committee prerequisite to student permanently leaving school; annual report; application of section
Section 18. No student sixteen years of age or older shall be considered to have permanently left public school unless an administrator of the school which such student last attended has sent notice within a period of ten days from the student’s fifteenth consecutive absence to the parent or guardian of such student in both the primary language of such parent or guardian and English, stating that such student and his parent or guardian may meet with the school committee or its designated representatives prior to the student permanently leaving school, within ten days after the sending of the notice. The time for meeting may be extended at the request of the parent or guardian and with consent of the school committee or its designated representatives, provided no extension shall be for longer than fourteen days. Such meeting shall be for the purpose of discussing the reasons for the student permanently leaving school and alternative educational or other placements.
The superintendent of every city, town or regional school district shall annually report to the department of education the number of students sixteen years of age or older who have permanently left school, the reasons for such leaving and any alternative educational or other placement which each such student has taken.
The provisions of this section shall not apply to a student who has completed the regular course of education, or apply to a student whose absences have been excused, nor shall this section be construed to permanently exclude a student who wishes to resume his education.