Seriously, School District? He's a Truant?

This year, the flu really hit our family pretty hard. I hear it was one of the worst flu seasons ever. My son probably felt it worst of all. At age 7, there isn't much you can do for him but monitor his fever, keep it down with acetaminophen and ibuprofen. 

Thankfully, he made it through OK. We took two different trips to the doctor, and all in all, he missed 10 days, or two weeks, of school. Thankfully it was right around the holidays, so I figured with Christmas break looming, he'd not miss much work. It only took him and me a few days to catch up his school work.

I thought the flu season was conquered, and all was behind us. That is ... until I got the mail a few days ago.

It seems that since my son has missed more than 10 days this school year (10 for the same flu and one for pink eye), he is considered a "truant" by the district. I was informed I was breaking the law.

Excuse me? A truant? My little 7-year-old?! Seriously? 

In my opinion, a truant is one who is unexcused. In fact, in the event that I, a journalist and editor, somehow misunderstood the meaning of the word, even looked it up to double check.

According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a truant is "one who stays out of school without permission." The real problem is: whose permission?

According to Methacton School District, it clearly isn't mine. My son does not have one SINGLE "unexcused" absence. Each time, when he was sick, for all 10 days of the flu, we called in to report him out. He had a fever, and by school rules, we could not return him to school within 24 hours of having had one.

My excusing my child, however, seemed not to suffice. The district wanted a doctor's note. As we'd been there twice during the elongated fiasco, it wasn't hard to obtain. I do, however, have issue with the letter and the label.

Inclusive of my son's new law-breaking informative letter, I was also instructed that, should he fall ill again in the coming months remaining in the school year, he'd need a doctor's excuse to prove his illness. Are you kidding me?!

So, now, if he has a 99-degree fever, I can't just make that call. Me, the woman who carried that child for nine months (OK, it was eight, he was a preemie), who spent 36 hours in labor, cared for him in sickness and in health for seven straight years ... yes, me ... I'm clearly incapable of making that call. No, no. I must now drive my sick child to the doctor's office. I must pay a ridiculous co-pay. I must get this person with a fancy PhD to tell me what I already know, that he has a cold. That this mild fever will likely soon pass. 

All for what? So the district can get its little slip saying I'm not lying?! I take offense to that. I shouldn't have to take my child for every sniffle just because he had one bad case of the flu. Give me a break.

I get it, right. Before you go shooting off your angry emails. I know. There are children that maybe do not get safe medical care. Maybe some parents don't keep track. I know my obsessive compulsive nature doesn't carry over to all. But, really? After 10 days of being absent, a child is considered truant? 

For now, I'll pray to the childhood illness gods that the worst of it is over. We made it through the winter flu season. Oh, wait, now it is time for spring allergies in our house... Lord knows, I hope the boy doesn't come down with a fever!