I. Student Attendance

In accordance with state law, every child between the ages of five and 17 must be enrolled in school.Each student is also expected to be in regular attendance.If students are to be successful in school they must be in school.

A. The school year consists of 180 school days

B. To receive credit for the school year, a student must attend 170 days of the 180 days of the school year

C. The district will establish guidelines for daily attendance for students to be counted present for a day. These guidelines will include provisions to address tardiness to school/class and early dismissals.

D. Any absences for students in grade K-12 exceeding 10, whether lawful, unlawful or a combination thereof, may cause the student not to be promoted or lose credit for a Carnegie unit. The guidelines established by the district provide procedures to allow students to make up make up days/work missed. The principal and superintendent or his/her designee must approve the promotion or course credit for students who exceed more than 10 absences.

In the elementary and middle school each student must attend at least 170 days during the year to be promoted.

High school students must attend 170 days of the 180 day school year to receive credit for a course.Absences in excess of ten (10) may cause the student to lose credit for the year.

E. Each school will review its procedures for dealing with absences on an annual basis and make appropriate adjustments. Each school will also place its plan for dealing with absences in its student handbook (if applicable) and communicate this plan to parents/guardians through newsletters or other means early in the school year.

II. Absences

An absence from school is considered “lawful” or “unlawful”.Students who exceed ten days of absences with lawful, unlawful, and/or combination of both may not be promoted to the next grade or receive credit for a high school course.The student must meet the guidelines of the district and state to be eligible to be promoted or receive a Carnegie unit in high school.

A. Lawful absences

Lawful absences are absences made necessary by the situations listed below:

Illness of a student to the degree that attendance in school would endanger the student health or the health of others.

Serious illness or death in the student’s immediate family. (Immediate family includes parents, siblings, and grandparents)

A medical appointment for the student that cannot be scheduled outside the school day.

Observance of recognized religious holidays of a student’s faith.

An appearance by a student in court or an appointment with a legal officer.

Participation by a student in curriculum-based field trips that have received prior approval by the principal.

Suspension from class or school.

Absences for extreme hardships approved by the principal.

B. Unlawful absences

Unlawful absences are absences involving the situations listed below:

A unlawful absence from school by the student without the knowledge of the student’s parent or guardian.

A willful absence from school by a student with the knowledge of the student’s parent or guardian but for a reason that is not considered lawful.

A forged excuse.

Any absence from school by a student that does not meet the criteria for a lawful absence.

Suspension is not to be counted as an unlawful absence for truancy purposes.

III. Excuses

An excuse in the form of a note must be presented by the student to the principal or designee after the student’s return to school.The principal has the discretion to require additional documentation to justify a lawful absence.

a. The note must be from a parent, guardian, legal officer, physician, dentist or recognized licensed certified medical practitioner.

b. The note must be presented within three days after the student’s return to school.

c. The note must be dated and must include the date(s) of the absence(s), the reason(s) for the absence(s) and the signature of the person providing the excuse.

d. The reason given on the note for the absence will determine whether the absence is recorded as a lawful or unlawful absence.

e. A note not properly submitted according to the terms of this policy will cause the absence to be recorded as an unlawful absence.

f. A forged note will result in the absence being recorded as an unlawful absence.