Truancy is an increasing problem in Sweden and the rest of the world. Truancy in the formative years risks the student’s mental health, future opportunities in their work-life, and means increasing costs for society. This paper inductively examines teachers’ experiences of truancy through conducting semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis. The teacher’s role in school is in practice extended to more than just teaching and is in this study considered as being part of the social work that takes place in the school. Through the understanding of two theories, Social Capital, and the Street-level bureaucrat, this study dives deeper into the problem of school truancy and the work teachers do to promote the commitment and health of their students. Results of this study indicate that the work of teachers is limited to their ability to work with students to establish relationships and nurture a healthy social school environment. When truancy occurs, the problems teachers face is further exacerbated by limited resources and ambiguous expectations and a lack of cooperation from parents. One of the most important findings in this study is how teachers emphasize the importance of forming relationships in their work to secure high levels of commitment and lowering risks of burnout in the student’s life. School can be seen as a primarily social setting where relationships are a priority which, when established, promotes teaching.