08. Attendance

Attendance (Refer to Board Policy IHEA and JBD)

A parent/guardian should report student absences to the office by 10:00 a.m. or send a brief written explanation with him/her when he/she returns to school.

Excused/Unexcused Absences

The definition of “excused absence” includes the following:

○ Personal illness;

○ Health-related treatment, examination, or recuperation;

○ Serious illness or death of a member of the family;

○ Obligatory religious observances;

○ Participation in a district-approved or school sponsored activity or course;

○ Absences prearranged by parents and approved by the principal or designee; and

○ Students of active duty military personnel may have additional excused absences at the discretion of the principal for visitations relative to leave or deployment.

All absences which do not fit into one of the above categories would be considered an unexcused absence. A student serving a period of suspension or expulsion from the district shall not be considered inexcusably absent.

An excused absence entitles the pupil to make up work missed. It is the responsibility of the student to obtain missed work. Generally, a student is given one day for each day of excused absence to make up work.

An unexcused absence is recorded when no notice from the parent or guardian is provided to the office or if absences become excessive. Automated phone calls are generated for any unexcused absence. Students will be allowed to make up work from a suspension for credit, but it must be turned in the day the student returns to class from the suspension. It is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to pick up the work from school. Students who need to leave the building during the school day are to have permission to do so from the office. Students are to report to the office for permission and to sign out. Failure to do so could result in an unexcused absence.

If a student becomes ill after arriving at school, he/she must check with the nurse. The nurse will make the decision as to whether the student should remain at school or be sent home. If the nurse is unavailable, the student should check with the office secretaries. Students should not use their personal cell phones to call parents in this situation.

Any student under the age of 18 who is absent more than three consecutive days, five or more days in any semester, or seven or more days in a school year without a valid excuse is declared a truant. When a student has been declared a truant, a hearing may be held to determine if the student will be suspended or expelled. If a student is not 18 years old, the proper juvenile authority will also be notified, as required by law, so that appropriate action can be taken.

The guidelines for handling unexcused absences are:

1. Once a student has accumulated three (3) consecutive unexcused days and/or 15 total unexcused blocks, the student will meet with their administrator and a letter will be sent home.

2. Once a student has accumulated five (5) cumulative unexcused days and/or 25 total unexcused blocks in a semester, parents will be contacted and an attendance letter will be sent home.

3. Once a student has accumulated seven (7) unexcused days in a school year and/or 35 total unexcused blocks, and if the student is less than 17 years old, a truancy affidavit will be filed with the county attorney.

When a student has missed ten (10) consecutive days and the absences are unexcused, the student may be dropped from school if the administrator is unable to make contact with the student and/or parent/guardian. If the student, after being dropped, desires to return to school, he/she must request a readmission hearing through his/her administrator.

Tardy Policy

Tardies interrupt the classroom environment and interfere with the learning of other students. Being in class on time is crucial to an
individual’s success and group continuity. The following guidelines will be used to address unexcused tardy violations:

● Students who arrive to class after the tardy bell rings will be counted as an unexcused tardy.

● Students are allowed two tardies per semester without consequence. On the third tardy, the student will begin to receive
consequences. Excessive tardies may result in a team meeting to determine an individual plan of action.