Policy & Procedures: Grades 9-12

The Board of Education requires that the Students enrolled in the schools of this district attend school regularly in accordance with the laws of the State.  You can view the board policy at the following link: Attendance Policy.

The educational program offered by this district is predicated on the presence of the student and requires continuity of instruction and classroom participation.  The regular contact of students with one another in the classroom and their participation in a well-planned instructional activity under the tutelage of a competent teacher are vital to this purpose.

 Attendance at school may be excused when the demonstrated mental or physical condition of the student is such as to interfere with learning or prevent attendance, or by the observance of the student's religion on a day approved by the Board as a religious holiday, or by such circumstances as the building principal may determine constitute good cause.  No student, staff member, or visitor may attend or visit school if he or she has an exposed and/or exposed weeping skin lesion(s), regardless of whether or not the person has been screened for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus ("HIV"). 

 Students absent from school for any reason are responsible for the completion of assignments missed because of their absence.  No student receiving an excused absence for a religious holiday shall be deprived of an award or eligibility to compete for an award or the opportunity to make up a test given on the religious holiday. 

 Prolonged or repeated absences, whether excused or unexcused, from school or from class, deprive the student of the classroom experience deemed essential to learning and may result in retention at grade level or loss of credit toward the high school diploma in accordance with policies of this Board.

 Attendance

If you have any questions regarding your child's attendance please contact:

Kirsy Acosta, ext. 8155

A student's presence in school and in the classroom to which he or she is assigned at the times scheduled for instruction or other school activities.

a.    A student will be considered to have attended school if he or she has been present at least four hours during the school day.

b.    A student not present in school because of his or her participation in an approved school activity, such as a field trip, meeting, cooperative education assignment, or athletic competition will be considered to be in attendance.

Excused absence is a student’s absence from school for a full day or a portion of a day for one or more of the following reasons:

a.    The student's illness, as long as the student provides documentation of the illness from a doctor upon return to school. Documentation must be submitted within 7 days of the absence in order to be excused.

b.    The student has exposed and/or exposed weeping skin lesion(s), regardless of whether the student has been screened for HIV. No student may attend or visit school if he or she has an uncovered and/or uncovered weeping skin lesion (s);

c.    A death or critical illness in the student’s immediate family (mother, father, grandmother, grandfather, or siblings) as long as the students provides documentation from a parent/legal guardian upon return to school;

d.    Quarantine;

e.    Observance of the student’s religion on a day approved for that purpose by the State Board of Education – any transcript or application or employment form of any similar form on which information concerning a student’s attendance

record is requested shall show with respect to absences, only absences other than absences excused because of religious holidays;

f.     Observances of the student’s religion on a day not approved for that purpose by the State Board of Education, as long as the student provides documentation from parent/legal guardian upon return to

school – any transcript or application or employment form or any similar form on which information concerning a student’s attendance record is requested shall show, with respect to absences, only absences other than absences excused because of religious holidays;

g.    The student’s required attendance in court,

h.    Interviews with a prospective employer or with an admissions officer of an institution of higher education, as long as the student provides documentation from parent/legal guardian, employer, or admissions officer upon return to school;

i.     Examination for a driver’s license, as long as the student provides documentation from parent/legal guardian upon return to school;

j.     Necessary and unavoidable medical or dental appointments that cannot be scheduled at a time other than the school day, as long as the student provides documentation from parent/legal guardian, doctor, or dentist upon return to school.

k.    College visitation-maximum three (3) visits. Documentation must be submitted within 7 days of the absence in order to be excused.

Unexcused absence is a student's absence for a full day or a portion of a day for any reason other than those listed in Paragraph A2 above.

a.    Absence is expressly not excused for any of the following purposes (this list is intended to be illustrative and is not exhaustive):

(1)     Employment other than school-approved work assignments;

(2)     Family travel;

(3)     Performance of household or baby-sitting duties, and

(4)     Out of school suspension.

b.    Tardiness of 15 minutes or more to any respective class shall be considered an unexcused absence from that class

A student’s total absences from a class shall not exceed maximum number in order for the student to be considered to have completed the instructional program requirements for that class.  All absences, including excused absences, unexcused absences, and out-of-school suspensions, will count toward the total number of allotted absences.

 In a Semester Course (Half Year) if a student accumulates 10 unexcused absences from the course, no credit will be granted. Notices will be sent out by the attendance office informing parent/guardians at the following intervals: 3 days, 5 days, and 8 days. If the student exceeds the allotted number of total absences for a class, the student will not receive credit for the class but will receive a grade.  It is the intention of this policy that the permitted number of absence (18/traditional schedule) will provide for normal illnesses.

All absences must be verified by a note of explanation presented to the attendance office at the high school on the first day following the absence.  Notes are required from a parent/legal guardian, physician, dentist, prospective employer, or admissions officer of an institution of higher education.  Absences will be considered unexcused until a note is presented.  The student will be given an Admit Slip by the attendance clerk upon receipt of a note from the parent/legal guardian, physician, dentist, prospective employer, or admissions officer of an institution of higher education.  The student must have the admit slip signed by each teacher and the last period teacher will deliver it to the attendance office at the end of the school day.

After 3 consecutive days of absence from school due to illness, the student must present a physician’s note or hospital release to the nurse, in addition to the note from the parent/legal guardian to the attendance office, before admission to the classroom is granted.  The student may not enter the classroom until the nurse issues an admission note, which will be given to the attendance office. Attendance office will inform parents/guardians of the number of absences, whether excused or unexcused, for their child by letter.

1.    After 3 absences a letter is sent the Attendance Office to the student’s parent(s)/legal guardian(s) advising them of attendance. 

2.    After the 5th absence a letter is sent from Attendance Office, Counselors and a parent conference will be scheduled.

3.    After the 9th absence a letter is sent from the Attendance Office.

4.    After the 15th absence a letter is sent from the Attendance Office, and an IRS (Intervention Referral Services) parent conference will be scheduled with student, teacher, guidance counselor, and Vice Principal.

5.    After the 19th absence a letter is sent from the Principal/Vice Principal to the student’s parent(s)/legal guardian(s) explaining the appeal procedure. It is the responsibility of the student to request an appeal through the vice principals’ office. 

6.    Once a request has been made an attendance appeal shall be scheduled.  A conference is scheduled by the Appeal Committee with the student and the student’s parent(s)/legal guardian(s) relative to the appeal. 

For Students under 16 years of age - the parent(s)/legal guardian(s) is subject to court action. Students 16 years of age or older - a letter will be sent to the Superintendent from the Principal recommending an alternative educational program.

There are no appeals for absences that occur when a student either cuts a class or accumulates three (3) lateness to class that is equivalent to one (1) unexcused absence.  The appeal process in these situations does not apply.

Tardiness

Parents/legal guardians should ensure that their children will not be late for school. A high school student arriving after 8:00 a.m. shall report to the attendance office for a tardy admit slip. Student will be assigned central to be served after school from 3:10 -3:40 or the following morning from 7:20 – 7:50. If a high school student is late to school, the student’s parent(s)/legal guardian(s) shall receive a letter or telephone call from the attendance office notifying the student’s parent(s)/legal guardian(s) of the student’s tardiness to school. 

Excessive tardiness may result in the student receiving in central detention, In School Suspension, out of school suspension and the student may be excluded from participating in extracurricular activities.  On every 3rd tardy to school that is accumulated, the student will receive 1 unexcused absence that will not be subject to an appeal.  The parent/guardian of the student will be notified by a phone call and a letter. Tardiness of 15 minutes or more to a class shall be considered an unexcused absence from that class. 

Truancy

Is the student’s unexcused absence from school of any student between the ages of six and sixteen years, and any student of such age found away from school during school hours whose parent, legal guardian or other person having charge and control of the student is unable to cause him or her to attend school. Unexcused absences from school or from classes within the school day constitute Truancies and shall be subject to the disciplinary rules of the Board. Repeated Truancies that interfere with efforts of this Board and its staff in the maintenance of good order and the continuity of classroom instruction may result in the suspension or expulsion of any student from the course of study during which absences have occurred or the suspension or expulsion from school of a student over sixteen years of age, in accordance with Policy Nos. 5610 and 5620.  Before any such action is taken, every effort shall be made to identify the habitual truant, investigate the cause or causes of the student's behavior, and consider the modification of the student's educational program. Student will also be considered truant if he or she:

a)    Leaves school at lunch time without a pass

b)   Leaves school without permission when school is still in session

c)    Leaves class because of illness and does not report to the school nurse as directed

d)   Is present in school but is absent from class without approval 

e)    Such truancy from class is a "class cut."

The Superintendent shall calculate and monitor the average daily attendance rate for the district and for each school in the district.   Whenever the average daily attendance rate is below ninety percent for the district or below eighty-five percent in any one school; the Superintendent shall develop and implement an attendance improvement plan.  The attendance rate shall be calculated by dividing total student days present for all students by the total possible student days for all students and multiplying the result by one hundred.

1st Truancy            Conference – attendance office/student

                                       Penalty - Central Detention

2nd Truancy         Telephone call to student’s parent(s)/legal guardian(s) from the attendance office.

                                       Conference – student’s guidance counselor/student

                                       Penalty – Lunch Detention

3rd Truancy         Telephone call to student’s parent(s)/legal guardian(s) from the student’s guidance counselor.

                                      Conference – student’s guidance counselor/student

                                       Penalty – Saturday Detention

4th Truancy          Letter and telephone call to the student’s parent(s)/legal guardian(s) from the Vice Principal

Conference - student, student’s parent(s)/legal guardian(s) school counselor.

Penalty – ISS (In School Suspension)                     

Excessive Truancies        

• Letter to the student’s parent(s)/legal guardian(s) from Vice Principal.

• Conference – Vice Principal, student, student’s 

• Parent/legal guardian(s) and students

School counselor.  I&RS (Intervention Referral Services)

Penalty – ISS (In School Suspension)

Admit Slips

GOLD SLIPS will only be issued for excused absences through the attendance office.  Teachers are to differentiate documentation of the excused absences in their roll books

CLASS CUTS

1st & 2nd class cut        Teacher submits referral to the VP. Central Detention issued and parent/guardian notified.

3rd class cut                     Teacher submits referral to VP. Conference held with VP, student and guidance counselor.

Parent notified and Central Detention Issued

4th Class cut                     Teacher submits referral to VP. Conference held with VP, student and guidance counselor.

Parent notified– ISS (In School Suspension).                    

Excessive cuts                

Letter to the student’s parent(s)/legal guardian(s)from Vice Principal. OSS issued

Conference – Vice Principal, student, students Parent/legal guardian(s) and students

School counselor.  IR&S (Intervention Referral Service)

All cut classes are considered unexcused absences and count toward the maximum number of allowed absences for the class that the student cut.