Attendance Policy

School attendance is covered by State Law 193:1. Regular, prompt attendance is also a district requirement and is essential for students' academic success. Parents must ensure that their children attend school and cooperate with the following rules:

1. Parental notification. On the day of the absence, parents must notify the school by 8:00 a.m. if a student will be absent, late, or leaving school early. If a student is absent from his or her first period class and the school has not received a call explaining the reason(s) for the absence, the house secretary will phone parents at home or at work to verify the absence. If no contact is made, then a note explaining the reason(s) for the absence is required on the day the student returns to school before an admit slip will be issued to allow the student back in class.

2. Excused absences and tardiness. Students are allowed up to twelve (12) absences per semester course and six (6) absences for A/B courses per semester. These guidelines should not be interpreted to mean that students are allowed "cuts" or days off from school. To the contrary, these guidelines state that the school will accept no more than six (6) absences (A/B courses) or twelve (12) absences (semester courses) in any class with the expectation that all absences are for legitimate reasons. See paragraph 11 for those students who exceed six (6) absences (semester courses) or three (3) absences (A/B courses) during the first marking period

The following reasons will be accepted for student absences:
1. student illness (parent note or phone call)
2. medical/dental appointments that cannot be rescheduled (parent note or phone call)
3. bereavement/funerals (parent note or phone call)
4. religious reasons (parent note or phone call)
5. extraordinary circumstances which are approved by the administration
beforehand (i.e., court appearances with documentation.
6. planned absences approved in advance (Prior Notification of Absence Form)
(see paragraph 4 -- "Planned Absences")

Absences for reasons other than the above will not be excused.

The following reasons will be exempted from the attendance policy:
1. school-sponsored activities (testing, field trips, sports)
2. two (2) college visits or interviews (for seniors) per semester (with prior approval
of administration)
3. disciplinary action (ISS/OSS) or staff detention

Once a reason for absence is made known to the administration, a determination will be made as to whether it is excused or unexcused. Only the school administration may excuse a student from school attendance. A telephone call from a parent does not in itself excuse an absence.

3. Excused tardiness. Students who, for unexcused reasons, are tardy to school 30 minutes or less are marked tardy. Students may accumulate four (4) unexcused tardies to school without consequences. Consequences begin with the fifth (5th) tardy to school. The reasons accepted for absences will generally be accepted for tardiness.

4. Planned absences (Prior Notification of Absence Form). Parents may submit a request in writing to the student's house administrator stating a planned absence is excused for an unavoidable reason not listed above, such as a family wedding, vacation or other significant event. The house administrator shall grant or deny these requests based on the reason for the absence, the length of the absence, the student's attendance record, or for other reasons. Approved absences will count toward the limit of six/twelve absences a student may accrue for A/B semester courses. Parents should note that the district discourages absences for family vacations and reserves the right to designate such absences as unexcused. Only three (3) days of family vacations will be exempted.

5. Record keeping. Each teacher shall take attendance at the beginning of each class and record each student's presence, absence, or tardiness.

6. House Administrator's authority. The house administrator shall be responsible for viewing attendance records and initiating appropriate actions at the house level to address unexcused pupil absence and tardiness.

7. Making up work. Students are expected to make up any work missed due to any excused absences or tardiness. Students are generally allowed the same number of days missed to make up work. Work assigned during unexcused absences will be graded as "zero", and teachers are under no obligation to extend deadlines, reschedule tests or other assessments, or re-teach material missed.

8. Interventions for excessive absences. After three (3) absences (A/B courses) or five (5) absences (semester courses) the classroom teacher shall speak to the student and notify the school counselor and the house administrator in writing or by e-mail. The house administrator shall call the student's parents to schedule a meeting to inform them of the absences and discuss appropriate interventions.

After the tenth absence in a full-year course, or the fifth in an A/B course, the teacher shall speak to the student and notify the school counselor and house administrator in writing or by e-mail. The house administrator shall send a letter home, advising the parent or guardian of the number of absences. The house administrator or designee shall meet with the student, the student's parents or guardians, and the student's teacher(s), as applicable.

9. Loss of course credits. The school reserves the right to impose academic penalties for absences. High school students with more than twelve absences in a single course during a semester will lose academic credit for that course, except for a medical exemption or extra-ordinary circumstances. Once the student has exceeded the number of allowable absences, he/she has the right to appeal to their house administrator (see paragraph 10).

10. Attendance appeal procedures. Any student who has been absent beyond the six (6) absences (A/B course) or twelve (12) absences (semester course) and who has no unexcused absences (cuts) nor been truant may appeal to his/her house administrator. The reason for the appeal must be reasonable and justified.

The student completes the information requested on the attendance appeal form for each class he/she is appealing. The student will then submit the attendance appeal form to their house administrator for examination and review. After a review of a student's attendance file, the attendance appeal form is returned to the classroom teacher with the disposition of the appeal.

Students must have a complete record of their absences with parent/guardian documentation in their attendance file before an appeal can be filed. No retroactive notes will be accepted.

Students can only file an appeal in classes in which they are currently receiving a passing grade. The student's entire attendance record for the marking period is examined and not individual days.

The cutting of classes predetermines failure. If a student has exceeded the six or twelve absence limit in a class, and absences include any cutting or truancy, the appeal will be automatically denied, and the student will receive an administrative failure (AF) for the course. Any legitimate absence may be appealed. Verification will be required and a physician's note may be requested in the case of illness.

Appeals must be submitted by the student to the house administrator at the end of the marking period and no later than one week after grade reports have been issued. Appeals for seniors in second semester must be submitted immediately.

Sanctions. If the attendance appeal is denied, the student will receive an administrative failure (AF) for the course and a permanent grade of 50 or the class average, whichever is lower. No credit will be given. If a student receives an administrative failure after the first marking period of the semester, they will be assessed a numerical grade of 50 or their class average, whichever is lower.

** Attendance Appeal Forms are available in the House Offices