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R 2310 Student Attendance

The Board of Education has established the following rules and regulations regarding attendance, absences and excuses for students. These rules and regulations are intended to comply with Missouri Compulsory Attendance Law (167.031 RSMo.) which establishes compulsory attendance for all children between the ages of seven and sixteen unless their education is provided by other acceptable means or otherwise excusable under the law.

Resonable Absences

In case of absence, it is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to notify the school. If the school is not notified on the day of absence, a note from the parent/guardian will be required on the first day of the student's return to school. The absence will be recorded as unverifited if a note or telephone call is not received.

Resonable absences include, but are not limited to:

  1. Illness of the student (Doctor's statement may be required to support such absences).
  2. Days of religious observance.
  3. Death in the family (Each District shall define degree of relatedness).
  4. Family emergencies which necessitate absence from school. The school must be notified in advance when such absences are foreseen. (Each District shall define degree of emergency).

The following procedures should be followed by students who are absent so as to prevent academic difficulties:

  1. The student shall obtain assignments from appropriate staff members. Assignments shall be obtained in advance if the absence is foreseen.
  2. All assigned work shall be submitted upon returning to school.
  3. All classroom work (to include tests) shall be completed as indicated by the building handbook.

Unreasonable Absences

Attendance patterns for all students will be monitored. Absences which are not clearly excusable will be investigated by the principal and/or staff, and appropriate action will be taken:

(Academic Option)

  1. After a student has been absent for three (3) consecutive days, it is the building principal's responsibility to contact the parent/guardian by telephone or letter in order to inquire about the reason for the student's absence.
  2. If the principal is unable to contact the parent/guardian within three (3) days or the parent/guardian does not give a reasonable explanation for the absence within three (3) days, the building principal may refer to an outside agency.

Excessive Absences

Elementary Students and Middle School Students

When a student reaches seventeen (17) days of absence per school year, state law considers this to be excessive. Excessive absences, verified or unvierified, have a detrimental effect upon academic progress and may be one factor considered in promotion/retention decisions.

After a student accumulates 5, 10, or 15 days of verified and unverified absences, the school will send a letter of notification. These notifications will be reviewed by administration and a determination made if further action is required. School administration will determine if there is a need to refer the situation to the Webster County prosecuting attorney, Division of Youth Services and/or the Juvenile Office for enforcement of the Missouri Compulsory Attendance law. (R.S. MO. 167.031)

High School Students

Regular attendance and participation in classroom instructional activities are essential to achieving the educational objectives for each class. When students are absent from class, they miss the material covered; they miss the opportunity to interact with the teacher as well as other students; and they miss the opportunity to pursue learning opportunities only available in the classroom interaction.

Students whose absence is unverified will not receive any credit for instructional activities occurring during their absence. The net effect of an unverfied absence or absences may be a reduction in the student's grade. In addition, students who have unverfied absences may be required to attend after school classes or Saturday classes to complete classroom work covered in their absences.

Every student is required to have 95% attendance to graduate from Marshfield High School. Students who fall below 95% attendance will be required to complete make-up hours through tutoring, community service, or correspondence courses which must be approved by the principal in charge of student attendance. See student handbook for more details.

Any exceptions to the items cited above shall be approved by the Board of Education. Each principal may have written policies that further detail procedures for making up work and reporting absences.

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Board Approved Date: August 21, 2017
Last Updated: December 2017