• Except as otherwise allowed by state law, all children between the ages of six (6) and seventeen (17) must enroll in and attend school.

    Parents, guardians and students are all responsible for making sure students are at school daily, on time and are ready to learn. A parent or guardian must notify the school any time a student will be absent. In non-emergency situations this notification should occur prior to the beginning of the school day. If notification of a student’s absence is not received, attempts will be made by school staff to notify the parents or guardian of their student’s absence.

    1.0 Attendance Recording

    1.1 At minimum, attendance at the elementary level will be recorded within 10 minutes after class begins in the morning and within 10 minutes after class resumes after lunch.

    1.2 Attendance at the secondary level will be recorded within the first 10 minutes of each attendance period.

    1.3 If a student is not present in the classroom when attendance is taken, the student will be marked absent. Schools will establish procedures by which absences may be changed to either a “partial absence” or “tardy” after the student provides an approved pass or other appropriate verification.

     

    2.0 Excused Absences

    2.1 Excused absences are defined as absences due to one or more of the following:

    2.1.1 Illness, injury or disabling condition

    2.1.2 Family emergency such as a serious illness or death of an immediate family member

    2.1.3 Legal proceeding

    2.1.4 Suspension

    2.1.5 Approved pre-arranged absences as defined later in this policy

    2.1.6 Religious observations

    2.2 Classes missed due to participation in a school sponsored activity are considered “exempt” absences. Such absences do not impact the student’s attendance record.

    2.3 After 10 excused absences in a school year, verification may be required by school administration or a district attendance officer for further absences to be considered excused. Such verification may include written statements from medical providers or similar official documentation.

     

    3.0 Unexcused Absences

    3.1 All absences not otherwise excused per section 2.0 of this policy will be considered unexcused. 

    3.2 For an absence to be excused, a telephone call or signed note from the custodial parent/legal guardian, medical practitioner(s), or other authorized official must be submitted within two (2) school days of the school day absent. In the case of multiple consecutive absences, the excuse must be submitted within two (2) school days of the last school day absent.

    4.0 Habitual Truancy

    4.1 Habitual truancy is defined by law and policy as having four (4) unexcused absences in a calendar month, or ten (10) unexcused absences in a calendar year.

    4.2 Habitually truant students will be subject to building attendance contracts and/or district truancy action plans, and may be referred to truancy court if truancy continues despite intervention efforts.

     

    5.0 Chronic Absenteeism

    5.1 A student will be considered chronically absent if he or she has missed 10% or more of the scheduled school days in a calendar year, regardless of whether the absences are excused or unexcused. Chronically absent students are subject to school and district attendance interventions.

    5.2 Individual student needs and circumstances will be considered in determining appropriate interventions for chronic absence. For students with disabilities, the student’s Individual Education Team or Section 504 Team may be consulted regarding appropriate interventions.

     

    6.0 Tardies, Early Departures and Partial Absences

    6.1 Leaving class without permission and/or leaving class with a pass but not returning in a timely manner may result in a partial absence being recorded.

    6.2 Tardies, early departures and partial absences will be determined to be excused or unexcused based on the same criteria as all other absences.

    6.3 Tardy is defined as a student’s arrival within 10 minutes of the scheduled start time for the class.

    6.4 Early departure is defined as a student’s departure from class within the last 10 minutes of the class.

    6.5 Partial absence is defined as a student arriving 10 or more minutes late to class, or leaving 10 or more minutes before the end of class.

    6.6 For district purposes of calculating truancy and chronic absenteeism, three (3) tardies or early departures will be considered a partial absence and three (3) partial absences will be considered an absence.

    6.7 Excessive tardies, excessive early departures and/or excessive partial absences may result in building level interventions, consequences or restrictions, including but not limited to the initiation of a building attendance contract.

     

    7.0 Pre-Arranged Absences

    7.1 Planned, non-emergency activities should be scheduled for days or times when students are not scheduled to be in school. Requests for absences to be excused for non-emergency reasons will be approved if the student has a 95% or higher attendance rate over the prior two (2) grading periods, and if the student is otherwise meeting academic performance expectations as determined by school administration. For students who do not meet the criteria noted, prearranged absence requests will be reviewed at the discretion of school administration. *BHS Students will not be granted pre-arranged absences during Final Exams.

     

    8.0 Makeup Work

    8.1 Students shall be given the opportunity to make up assignments for credit for excused absences. Makeup assignments should be requested on the day the student returns from the absence. Once provided by the teacher, makeup work should be completed within the same number of school days after the absence that the student originally missed. For example, a student who misses three days of school should have three school days to complete the makeup work after the teacher provides the work.

    8.2 For excused absences, including suspensions, makeup work completed within the allotted makeup window and will be awarded full academic credit.

    8.3 Credit for makeup work for unexcused absences, or for makeup work turned in late, may result in reduced credit or in no credit being awarded at the discretion of the teacher with approval of school administration.

    8.4 Some assignments such as labs or group projects are not conducive to makeup work. In such situations for excused absences only, teachers may provide an alternate assignment or may adjust the student’s grade accordingly to avoid placing an undue burden on the teacher without otherwise penalizing the student.

     

    9.0 Absences and Extracurricular Activity

    9.1 Students who are absent for part or all of a school day may be restricted or prohibited from participation in after school or extracurricular events on the day of absence.

     

    10.0 Attendance Recognition

    10.1 Perfect attendance is defined as having no tardies, early departures, partial absences or absences. Individual schools may recognize perfect or otherwise exemplary attendance of students based on criteria established by the schools’ administration.

    11.0 Withdrawal for Non-Attendance

    11.1 Students who are seventeen (17) years of age or older may legally withdraw from school (i.e. “drop out”) prior to graduating. Such students should not be formally withdrawn until school administration has attempted to contact parents or guardians by phone and in writing to discuss 11 educational options that may be available, and until otherwise approved by District Administration.

    11.2 Students of any age who miss ten (10) consecutive school days without prior approval of school administration may be reported to the District Attendance Officer for investigation. The attendance officer may direct the school to implement truancy interventions or may otherwise approve the student being withdrawn after fifteen (15) consecutive days of non-attendance provided there is documentation verifying the schools’ efforts to reengage the student in school.

    11.3 Students under the age of seventeen (17) who seek to withdraw with a stated intent of enrolling in a different school or educational program, including homeschooling, may not be officially withdrawn without receipt of request for educational records from the new school or otherwise without permission of District Administration.

    11.4 Students who are withdrawn for non-attendance, or students who withdraw after turning 17 but prior to graduating, should not be on campus without administrative approval.