Students are expected to attend school every day school is in session. Students are to arrive before the first class and stay until the scheduled end of their school day. If a student is unable to attend school, the student or parent must report that absence to the main office of the building to which that student is assigned.
If a student arrives late, the student must sign in at the office. A student may only leave school early if the student’s parent notifies the office or the student is an emancipated minor or 18 years old.
The school will contact parents if a student becomes ill at school and may ask that the parent pick up the student.
Planned absences
Parents who know in advance that a student will be absent must contact the school at the earliest possible date. Students who will be absent for reasons that can be anticipated, such as routine medical appointments and school activities, must complete any work required by the teacher before the absence unless alternative arrangements are approved by the teacher in advance. Parents should make every attempt to schedule medical and other appointments outside of school hours.
Students are expected to:
Complete all class work in advance for any absence that can be anticipated or make alternative arrangements with their teacher in advance of the absence.
Sign out of school at the office if leaving school during the school day.
Make up all work that is assigned by teachers for the instructional time that has been missed.
For more information, see Policy 5301.
Absences are either excused (E), school related (R), verified (V), documented (D), or unexcused (U); however, absences happen for a variety of reasons. To determine the reason for the absence and to ensure consistency in interpreting the policy, a high school administrator will be responsible for identifying what type of absence has occurred.
Excused Absences (E):
An excused absence occurs when a parent or guardian notifies the school within two days (48 hours) of the absence. Examples of Excused absences include illness without medical documentation, family obligations, vacations, hunting trips, etc. It is the opinion of the school district that absences of these types should be planned to coincide with scheduled school vacation time. However, if this is not possible, the absence must be prearranged by contacting the appropriate administrative secretary. Excused absences are reflected when calculating PRIDE Score.
Other Excused Absences:
School-related absence (R): Students miss a class and are out of the building because of school-generated activities (sports events, field trips, etc.).
Suspension (X): A student has been denied attendance by the administration for disciplinary reasons.
Verified absence (V): Students miss a class, but are on campus for school-related activities (scheduling for classes, mentoring other students, counseling meetings, etc.)
Medical and Documented Absences (D):
A medical or documented absence occurs when parents or guardians have notified the school within two days (48 hours) of the absence and produced documentation that supports the absence. Examples include illness that requires a doctors visit or hospitalization, recovery from surgery or accident, deaths and funerals of immediate family, college visits (limit of two junior and senior year), court appointments, professional appointments (that could not be scheduled outside of the regular school day), and observation or celebration of a bona fide religious holiday.
In all types of excused absences, students are allowed to make up the missed work, but it is their responsibility to obtain the assignments from teachers and to complete the work in a timely manner. Generally, one make-up day will be allowed for each day of absence unless the teacher and the student make other arrangements.
Unexcused Absences (U):
For unexcused absences, students will be allowed to make up work for credit.
The following are examples of unexcused absences:
Not having a parent or guardian notify the school within two school days of the absence
Missing a class or leaving school during the school day for any reason without first receiving permission from the office
Missing class as a result of using transportation other than a school bus
Oversleeping, missing the bus, etc.
Arriving to class more than 10 minutes late without an acceptable excuse
Skipping a class (A student intentionally chooses not to attend the class.)
The school will make every reasonable effort to notify the parent/guardian when the student is unexcused; however, failure to notify the parent/guardian does not excuse the student. Please be sure that all phone numbers are accurate and current so that the automatic caller is alerting parents/guardians of students absences.
False reporting of absences: Reporting an absence and acting as your parent/guardian or calling in and acting as another student’s parent/guardian is not permitted and is subject to progressive discipline up to and including suspension from school.
Parents are expected to report an absence to the attendance office on the day of the absence. If a parent fails to call on the day of the absence, two days will be allowed to excuse or explain the unexcused absence before the absence is permanently recorded as unexcused. Parents are encouraged to utilize the parent portal for monitoring student attendance.
Students are expected to obtain make-up work from teachers on the first day they return to the class and to complete the work within the agreed-upon timelines. Students will be allowed a maximum of two days from the day they are notified to clear any questionable unexcused absences. Students must check-out with a building attendance secretary prior to leaving the school campus, otherwise their absence will be marked as unexcused.
The School will make every effort to notify parents by phone, e-mail, or mail when their child has any unexcused absences.
Students who become ill during the school day must report to the office. School personnel will contact a parent or guardian to obtain permission for students to leave. A staff member may also allow a student to remain in the office for a short time. If a student is ill and chooses to leave school or miss a class without reporting to the office, he/she will receive an unexcused absence.