Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA §5001-A, sub-§2, śC, as amended by PL 1985, c. 123, §1, is further amended to read:

C. A person whose absence is excused under section 5051. The parent of an habitual truant who has been denied a waiver of this paragraph, may appeal to the commissioner in accordance with section 5051, subsection 2, paragraph E 5051-A; or

Sec. 2. 20-A MRSA §5051, as amended by PL 1999, c. 198, §§1 and 2, is repealed.

Sec. 3. 20-A MRSA §5051-A is enacted to read:

§5051-A. Habitual truancy

1.__Habitually truant.__A student is habitually truant if the student:

A.__Is subject to section 5001-A; and

B.__Has the equivalent of 10 full days of unexcused absences or 7 consecutive school days of unexcused absences during a school year.

2.__Procedures.__This subsection governs the procedure to be followed when a student is habitually truant.

A.__If a principal of a public school and the attendance coordinator determine that a student is habitually truant, the principal shall inform the superintendent.__The superintendent shall first try to correct the problem informally.

B.__As part of correcting the problem informally, the superintendent may ask the student's parent to attend a series of meetings with the child's teacher or other school personnel designated by the superintendent.__The purpose of the meetings is to describe the education program to the parent and explain the value of the child's attending an educational program, including, but not limited to, school, adult education, a high school equivalency degree program or other alternative education program.__The superintendent shall arrange meeting times convenient to the parent.

C.__If the superintendent is unable to correct the truancy of the child, the superintendent shall serve or cause to be