The Attendance Officer is a vital member of the education community. Each school system in Alabama is required to employ at least one Attendance Officer whose responsibility is to secure the enrollment and attendance of all mandatory school-age children within his/her attendance districts. Due to the size of some systems, the Attendance Officer may also hold additional duties within the school district. In performing their duties, Attendance Officers must investigate all reported cases of non-enrollment or non-attendance.
When there is no valid reason for the non-enrollment or non-attendance, the Attendance Officer shall give the parent, guardian, or other person having charge or control of the child written notice requiring the attendance of the child within three (3) days from the notice date. He/she is further required to bring criminal prosecution against the parent, guardian, or other person in those cases found to be without reason.
Finally, the Attendance Officer may take any school-age child into custody when the child is found away from home during school hours and not in the custody of the person having charge or control of the child. Attendance Officers are required to keep accurate records of all notices served, cases prosecuted, and services performed.
No person shall be denied employment, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination in any program or activity on the basis of disability, gender, race, religion, national origin, color, age or genetics. Ref: Sec. 1983, Civil Rights Act, 42 U.S.C.; Title VI and VII, Civil Rights Act of 1964; Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Sec. 504; Age Discrimination in Employment Act; The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and The Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008; Equal Pay Act of 1963; Title IX of the Education Amendment of 1972; Title II of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008: Title IX Coordinator, P.O. Box 302101, Montgomery, Alabama 36130-2101 or call (334) 242-8165
