UK City Now Charges Parents £1,000 per Child Who Misses School to Travel
Has your kid ever missed a day or two of school to go on a family vacation? Maybe you just couldn't squeeze the whole trip into a school break, or the prices (and crowds) were significantly less if you shifted your travel dates by a couple of days. While we try very hard to not have our kids miss more than a couple days of school per year, I'm most certainly 'guilty as charged' when it comes to having my kids miss a day here or there to travel.
However, if you live in England, missing school comes with fines that are quite common and that can reach pretty staggering numbers. In fact, in Lancashire County (located just Northwest of Manchester), the County Council is trialing a system that moves from the current fixed penalty notice of £60 - £120 per parent per child for unauthorized absences (such as for family vacations), to a penalty of up to £1,000 per parent per child (approx. $1,300). Again, once you trigger a penalty notice with five or more missed days, these fines are per parent and per child, meaning that a family with two parents and several children would be hit with a much larger post-vacay bill than a single parent with one child.
"All mums in England are handcuffed to the school calendar for vacations once children turn 4, which is why I traveled so much during my maternity leave," TPG's UK family travel contributor Kathleen Kristiansen said. "Even taking the Friday before school vacation can put you in the bad books with the school, facing potential expulsion even at public schools. While the penalty at the moment is relatively low compared to the potential cost savings, there is a lot of shame if your child misses school, particularly if you attend a highly rated one."
In England, these are not fines just sitting on the books but actually are frequently levied. In the 2016 - 2017 school year, Lancashire issued 6,876 fines to parents for unauthorized school absences, the highest rate in England. However, some counties in England issue virtually no fines at all.
Penalties for missing school isn't just an issue for families across the pond. In the US, many states also have fines for truancy on the books -- and this can even include jail time for parents in states where truancy is a criminal matter. The specifics on truancy and unexcused absences vary (widely) across the nation. In Texas, the tenth unexcused absence in six months can trigger a $100 fine for the first offense, increasing to a maximum of $500. Until recent years, truancy was considered a criminal matter in Texas, and there were parents who went to jail as a result of their children missing school.
Out west in California, the bar for triggering a truancy report is quite strict by national standards. Per the California Department of Education rules, truancy is defined as missing just 30-minutes of a school day three times in a school year. On the fourth such occurrence, a $100 fine can be issued, with the amount increasing with subsequent violations, up to $2,000 or one year in county jail.
Bottom Line
If your family is considering a discretionary trip during the school year, regardless of where you live, get to know your local school attendance policies (both written and real world applications). In many US locations, missing a day or two a year for travel won't raise any red flags for an otherwise 'good' student, but don't make any assumptions that could land you and your kiddos in hot water with the school district as policies can and do vary.
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.