Frequently Asked Question

Updated 9/21/2026

Aeries.net

Truancy Letter

Description:

Official notification to parents of excessive absence threshold met. Do not alter or customize this letter as it has been approved by County Authorities and Legal Counsel.

USE ABSENCE CODES: 2, D, O, U

(Link to Absence Code Definitions)

Quick Steps:

Generate Student Absence Summary to Determine Students to Receive Letter

Uncheck “Letter Log & Letter Tag” status until letters are accurate (reprint as needed)

Change End Date to Match Summary Report Date PRINTED

Recheck “Letter Log & Letter Tag” Settings to Update Status

Print Letters & List (Do this BEFORE leaving the page!)

Review the List and “cross out” letters pulled out –not being sent

Go to View All Forms > Letter Log > and delete letters references not being sent

Go to Attendance Table and INCREASE the “AbsLtr” Number IF LETTER IS being sent (i.e. if 1 change to 2)

Detailed Steps:

Identify Students Absent Last Month -- Excluding Tier 1 Recipients

QUERY for Only target students who have been an unexcused absence 30+ minutes since the last day of the previous attendance month--the previous cut of from when the last letter was run (may have already qualified for a letter, but haven't been absent since then we want to exclude them, until they are absent again).

**NOTE if this is the end of Month 1, use the date prior to the first day of school.

KEEP STU ATT IDN CAT IF ( ATT.AL = 2 AND ATT.DT > 08/25/2026 ) OR ( ATT.AL = D AND ATT.DT > 08/25/2026 ) OR ( ATT.AL = O AND ATT.DT > 08/25/2026 ) OR ( ATT.AL = U AND ATT.DT > 08/25/2026 ) OR ( CAT.AC = 2 AND CAT.DT > 08/25/2026 ) OR ( CAT.AC = D AND CAT.DT > 08/25/2026 ) OR ( CAT.AC = O AND CAT.DT > 08/25/2026 ) OR ( CAT.AC = U AND CAT.DT > 08/25/2026 )

Now EXCLUDE anyone already receiving the Tier 1 Letter (the date is the last day of the attendance month that JUST ENDED):

SKIP STU LTL IF ( LTL.ID : "ABSENT" AND LTL.CIS # "0" AND LTL.DT > 09/20/2026 )

STEPS FOR GENERATING LETTERS

View All Reports > Attendance > Filter for “Absence”

Elementary Select: Students with Absences
Secondary Select: Students with N or More Absences

Update options:

The “Start Date” is ALWAYS the first day of school
The "End Date" is the last day of the month of attendance being evaluated. Remember, we are running these lists at the BEGINNING of each attendance month, so the END date will be the LAST day of the attendance month that just closed
The "Minimum" will always be 3
Select "Total Period Absences"
Select "None" then the specific absence codes: 2, D, O, U,
**NOTE SECONDARY: THIS LIST WILL INCLUDE MORE STUDENTS THAN THE LETTER WILL. WE ARE ONLY LOOKING AT 30+ MIN PER DAY AND THIS REPORT COULD INCLUDE 2 PERIODS THE SAME DAY--INFLATING THE STUDENT'S COUNT** JUST FOR REFERENCE, as needed

View All Reports > Attendance > Filter for “Letter”

Select: “Attendance Letter to Parents”

Adjust Letter Settings to Match Absence Summary

Select Letter “Truancy” & Print “All Parts for this ID”

Change End Date to the Date the summary report was printed

Elementary: “Box does not appear for you--skip this”

Secondary: “Use All-Day AND Period attendance codes for totals” Click the check box “Require period codes to occur on different dates”

UNCHECK Update Letter Log table After Printing Letters

UNCHECK Update Student Letter Tag After Printing

Zero Absence Letter Counters--NO!!! This has already been done for all schools

Print Options: if you are using windowed envelopes select the “Double Window” Envelope

CHECK “Print Student Name on Address?”

CHECK “Print to Contacts” Leave unchecked

CHECK “Print All Prior Letter Dates on Letter to Parent?”

Select Absence Codes: D, O, U, 2

Print Letters & Report

Click PRINT LETTERS & preview the letters. Note: if this is not the first printing of the year remember that some students may appear on your Summary Report but not have a letter printed. These students have already received Letter 1—but do not have enough absences to generate letter 2.

CHECK Update Letter Log table After Printing Letters

Click PRINT LETTERS again—and PRINT the letters (you do not need to reprint if there weren’t any errors in the previous batch)

PRINT LABELS (if not using Windowed Envelopes)

PRINT LIST

Review the list and mark through any name of a letter being pulled—not being sent

Remove Letter Flags on Letters Not Being Sent

View All Forms > Filter for “Log”

Select “Letter Log”

Select Letter ID “Truancy 1”

Select Date—the day you printed the letter

Select the Students Name from the List and a summary of the absences reflected in the letter will appear

Select DELETE (Below the Absence Summary—DO NOT delete the entire transaction!)

Repeat this for each student & the Truancy 2 Letter

Student Data > Attendance > Increase the AbsLtr Number by 1 for all students who ARE receiving the Truancy Letter

Secondary: (Click here to continue to Period Absence Letters)

Elementary: (Click here to continue to Tardy Letters)