Student Absences and Excuses

Regular and punctual patterns of attendance will be expected of each student enrolled in the school district.  Students should strive to maintain a good attendance record, because there is a direct relationship between school attendance and grades, citizenship and success in school.

It is recognized that absence from school may be necessary under certain conditions.  However, every effort should be made by students, parents/guardians, teachers and administrators to keep absences and tardiness to a minimum.

Frequent absences of students from regular classroom learning experiences disrupt the continuity of the instructional process.  The benefit of regular classroom instruction is lost and cannot be entirely regained.  The school cannot teach students who are not present.  The entire process of education requires a regular continuity of instruction, classroom participation, learning experiences and study in order to reach the goal of maximum educational benefits for each individual student.  The regular contact of the students with one another in the classroom and their participation in well-planned instructional activities under the supervision of a competent teacher are vital to this purpose.

The superintendent, with the assistance of the administrative and professional staff, shall establish rules and procedures for student attendance within the district.  Such rules and procedures shall be published in the various student and parent/guardian handbooks and shall be subject to review by the Board of Education.  Irregular student attendance shall be checked by the building principal or his or her designee to determine the cause of absence.  Causes for absences may be obtained by telephone calls, verified notes from parents or guardians, contacts with other members of the student's family, or home visits.
A comprehensive system of attendance records will be maintained for each student.  Each teacher is responsible for the accurate reporting of daily attendance in the classroom.  The building principal is responsible for supplying information to parents/guardians in regard to student absences, and for submitting attendance information to the superintendent's office.

The district will contact the Children's Division (CD) of the Department of Social Services or the local prosecutor in cases where the district has a reasonable suspicion that a student's lack of attendance constitutes educational neglect on the part of the parents/guardians or that parents/guardians are in violation of the compulsory attendance law.  No such action will be taken unless other strategies and interventions have been implemented and proven ineffective.
If a student in foster care is absent from school due to a decision by a court or child-placing agency to change the student's placement or due to a verified court appearance or related court-ordered activity, the grades and credit of the student will be calculated as of the date the student left school, and no lowering of the student's grades shall occur as a result of the absence under these circumstances.