The Maryland attendance ladder in plain words — the triggers, who acts next, and what a parent should put in writing at each step.
Compulsory attendance: ages 5 to 18 (Md. Educ. §7-301; §7-302).
The triggers: Truant: unlawfully absent more than 8 days in a quarter, 15 in a semester, or 20 in a school year..
The deep-decoded ladders cover California, Texas, Florida, New York, and Illinois in the decoder. For Maryland, the universal paper moves apply: verify how each absence was coded, send held documentation now with proof of delivery, request conferences in writing, and log every effort with dates.
Rules checked October 2026 — every rule on this page is cited to its source. Verify day counts against your district's official calendar.
Every letter, checklist, and worksheet for this fight, filled with your state's rules — yours to keep, no subscription.
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