(a) Generally. No person who is required by law to attend school and who is subject to the compulsory attendance requirements of the Illinois School Code and/or who is enrolled in a public, private (including a home school) or parochial school within the corporate limits of the City, shall absent himself or herself from attendance at school during the hours in which he or she is enrolled. Any person who shall so absent himself or herself shall be guilty of the offense of truancy and shall be subject to the penalties set forth in Section 650.99(b).
(b) Parental Responsibility. It shall be unlawful for any custodian parent or guardian of any unemancipated person under eighteen (18) years of age to allow or permit such person to violate the provisions of subsection (a) above. The fact that prior to the present offense a parent, guardian or custodian was informed in writing by a law enforcement officer of a separate violation of subsection (a) by the same minor occurring within ninety (90) days prior to the present offense shall constitute a rebuttable presumption that such parent, guardian or custodian allowed or permitted the present violation.
(c) Contributing to Truancy. No person eighteen years of age or older shall knowingly or willfully cause, aid or encourage any person to be or to become a truant, knowingly or willfully commit an act which directly tends to render any person a truant, or knowingly or willfully fail to do that which will directly tend to prevent such state of truancy.
(d) Defenses to Truancy. Those defenses, exceptions and valid causes for absence, as set forth in the Illinois School Code for compulsory attendance or enrollment in school, shall apply as defenses to violations of this section.
(Ord. 99-52. Passed 9-7-99; Ord. 2013-43. Passed 9-3-13.)