A truancy abatement policy for the Penn Hills School District has been put on hold for at least a month while questions about how to treat very young pupils who show up late for school are answered.

School districts across the state have been mandated by the Pennsylvania Department of Education to come up with policies dealing with chronic truancy and tardiness. The new mandates address the Federal No Child Left Behind outcomes, which include attendance records as well as measures for math and reading.

The Penn Hills school board was poised to pass a new policy dealing with the matter Tuesday, but questions about how safe some of the rules would be prompted the board to table a vote.

At issue was the policy of not admitting a child more than two hours late unless he or she were accompanied by a parent or had a written doctor's excuse or a letter from the court.

Board member Jennifer Lundy wondered what would happen to the child if he or she were turned away after being dropped off or walking alone to school.

She said she doesn't think it would be safe to refuse to admit a young child who would then be forced to "wander the streets with nothing to do all day."

She also didn't like suggestions that the child be made to sit in the school office while phone calls are made to parents or to sit in the office all day if parents can't be reached. She felt doing that was a waste of education.

"I think we need a policy that is responsible," Ms. Lundy said.

Assistant Superintendent Dr. Joseph Carroll said the policy is really aimed at older students, "kids who come rolling in at 2 p.m.," and expect to be admitted and counted as present for the whole day.

He said it has happened, particularly on the high school level.

Under the new policy, parents would be prosecuted for violating compulsory attendance statutes, and the student would be suspended or expelled for repeated violations.

Students would be allowed to have 10 days of lawful absences before parents would have to provide medical, legal or religious grounds for the absences.

Also under the new policy, elementary age children would receive three written warnings before more severe penalties are instituted.

The board solicitor is expected to have a report at next month's meeting.