ATTENDANCE PROCEDURES AND POLICIES:
ATTENDANCE
The Board requires that pupils enrolled in the schools of this District attend school regularly in accordance with the laws of the State. The educational program offered by this District is predicated upon the presence of the pupil and requires continuity of instruction and classroom participation. The regular contact of pupils with one another in the classroom and participation in a well-planned instructional activity under the tutelage of a competent teacher are vital to this purpose.
Attendance shall be required of all students enrolled in the schools during the days and hours that the school is in session. Parents/guardians have the responsibility for ensuring that students attend and remain at school daily. However, students may be excused for temporary absences when the school receives satisfactory evidence of such mental, physical, or other urgent condition which may reasonably cause the student’s absence. The following conditions are considered reasonable cause for absence from school: illness, quarantine, recovery from an accident, required court attendance, death in the family, educational trips pre-approved by the building principal, religious holidays, and up to three visitations/interviews for employment or post-secondary education as approved by the building in the junior or senior year. If a student fails to submit a written excuse within three (3) school days after his/her return from any absence, the absence will be recorded as unexcused. Determination of excused or unexcused status of absence will be made by the building principal.
Students at or below compulsory school age, 16 years of age or younger:
Will receive a series of attendance notification letters (5 days absent, 10 days absent) by the building principal. There is a limit of ten (10) days of absence, excluding pre-approved educational trips; death in the family; religious holidays as established in accord with state law. After ten (10) days of absence have accumulated, the school must be provided with a medical excuse for every future day of absence or the day will be considered unexcused. A physician’s excuse is defined as a note signed by a medical practitioner verifying that the student was seen and treated by the practitioner during the absence for an illness.
Parents/guardians will receive written notification of unlawful absences after one (1), two (2), and three (3) days of unlawful absences. After the third (3rd) day of unlawful absences, the parents/guardians, student, and school administrator will be required to meet and complete a Truancy Elimination Plan. Three (3) days of unexcused absence shall be reported to the Superintendent’s office immediately. If the plan is violated and a fourth (4th) day of unexcused absence occurs, the final written notification shall be sent to the parents indicating that each unexcused absence thereafter shall result in their being charged before a magistrate for a violation of the compulsory attendance provisions of the Pennsylvania Public School Code without further notification from the school.
**Please note: Tardies to school and tardies to class accumulate throughout the school year. When a student receives seven tardies to school and/or class, these tardies are counted as one day of unexcused absence to school.
Students beyond the compulsory school age, seventeen (17) years of age or older:
Are not covered by the requirements of compulsory attendance but shall be expected to attend school in the same manner as those students covered under law. Ten consecutive unexcused absences will result in the student being dropped from the rolls. As soon as three (3) unexcused absences are accumulated, the student, parent/guardian, and school officials will meet and develop a Truancy Elimination Plan. A failure to adhere to the Truancy Elimination Plan may result in a student being referred to the School Board for an expulsion hearing.
A student who has reached the age of eighteen (18) may sign his/her own absence form with written parent permission.
A series of attendance notification letters (5 days absent, 10 days absent) will also be issued by the building principal. A limit of ten (10) days of absence, excluding pre-approved educational trips; death in family; religious holidays as established in accord with state law. After ten (10) days of absence have accumulated, the school must be provided with a medical excuse for every future day of absence or the day will be considered unexcused. A physician’s excuse is defined as a note signed by a medical practitioner verifying that the student was seen and treated by the practitioner during the absence for an illness.
Parents/guardians will receive written notification of unlawful absences after one (1), two (2), and three (3) days of unlawful absences. After the third (3rd) day of unlawful absences, the parents/guardians, student, and school administrator will be required to meet and complete a Truancy Elimination Plan. Three (3) days of unexcused absence shall be reported to the Superintendent’s office immediately.
**Please note: Tardies to school and tardies to class accumulate throughout the school year. When a student receives seven tardies to school and/or class, these tardies are counted as one day of unexcused absence to school.
The Truancy Elimination Plan for a student over the compulsory school age will include the following behavioral and academic consequences:
4-5 UX days: 1 day of ISS for each infraction; ability to still earn full academic credit for missed work on UX days
6-7 UX days: 3 days of ISS for each infraction; ability to earn half academic credit for missed work on UX days
8-9 UX days: 3 days of OSS for each infraction; ability to earn half academic credit for missed work on UX days
10+ UX days: 10 day of OSS for each infraction with an informal hearing after 3 days of OSS; no ability to earn academic credit for missed work on UX days
**Please note: The academic consequences listed above are reflective of the consequences listed in the Academic Work Missed Due to Unexcused/Illegal Absences Policy that is listed below.
ACADEMIC WORK MISSED DUE TO EXCUSED/LEGAL ABSENCES (GRADES 9-12)
Missed work during excused absences shall be made up as soon as possible using the following guide:
1.) Two (2) days for each one (1) day missed.
2.) Not completed by end of marking period-Incomplete.
3.) Not completed by end of a 2nd marking period-zero (0).
ACADEMIC WORK MISSED DUE TO UNEXCUSED/ILLEGAL ABSENCES (GRADES 9-12)
Regular attendance is the key to academic success. A pupil who has been absent from class is responsible for making up the work missed and should arrange to do this at the convenience of the teacher. The student is always the one responsible for finding out what work has been missed. An effort MUST be made by the student to complete work as soon as possible.
Students who are absent from school for reasons that are deemed unexcused or illegal are responsible for all academic information presented on the day of the absence, however, excessive absences will change the amount of credit issued for the academic work. Excessive unexcused absences and truancies place an undue burden on the staff and take time and focus away from attending students. Therefore, the following consequences will be utilized.
**Please note: Tardies to school and tardies to class accumulate throughout the school year. When a student receives seven tardies to school and/or class, these tardies are counted as one day of unexcused absence to school.
Unexcused/Illegal Absences (Per Academic Year)
0-5 accumulated UX absences: Full credit for make-up work
6-9 accumulated UX absences: Half credit for make-up work
10+ accumulated UX absences: “0” credit for make-up work
Truancy-Related Unexcused/Illegal Absences (Per Academic Year)
0-3 accumulated TR absences: Full credit for make-up work
4-7 accumulated TR absences: Half credit for make-up work
8+ accumulated TR absences: “0” credit for missed academic work
ATTENDANCE, PROMPTNESS AND EXTRA-CURRICULAR PARTICIPATION
Participation in the school's extra-curricular program (including athletic, musical, music, and play performance events) should NOT be used as an excuse to come late to school on the day of the event or the day after the event. Students who are tardy will not be permitted to participate in events or practices on the day of tardiness. Students must be in attendance on Friday in order to participate in weekend activities. If a student is absent on Friday, but he/she feels well enough to participate in an event on Saturday or Sunday, a doctor’s note will need to be provided to the supervisor of the extracurricular event for the student to be considered for participation. Any exception to this rule must be reviewed by a school administrator.
APPOINTMENTS & EARLY DISMISSAL PROCEDURES
Students will be granted early dismissals from school for legitimate reasons only. To obtain an early dismissal, the student must present a note from a parent or guardian detailing the reason for the early dismissal and the time of departure. Leaving school without permission will be classified as unexcused and will result in disciplinary action. Please follow the procedures below to avoid any misconceptions regarding these procedures.
Students requesting early dismissals are to abide by the following procedures:
- Report to the office before period one and turn in the early dismissal request so it can be placed on IC and to document the early dismissal on the appropriate form.
- Before leaving the building, the student must report to the office and sign out.
- Upon returning to school, the student must report directly to the office before going to class. Students who had professional appointments must show verification that they visited the office (appointment card, office personnel signature, etc.). If the student returns on the same day, the student must sign in at the office and receive a pass to class.
- Students granted the privilege of an early dismissal from school will be documented on IC.
- If verification is not turned in to the office in three school days, the early dismissal will be classified as unexcused.
EDUCATIONAL TRIP
One educational trip per year, with parent(s) or legal guardian(s), will be permitted provided the student's attendance is good and grades are satisfactory. To apply, an educational trip form must be picked up in the main office, completed by parents and returned for the administrator's signature two weeks before the scheduled absence. All assignments should be completed within one (1) week of the student’s return, unless the trip is less than one (1) week in which case, the student should follow the regular excused absentee policy for completing assignments found on page #10 of the agenda.
(Please note for the following section: Students who are chronically tardy to school and/or class will be subjected to additional/alternative disciplinary consequences.)
TARDIES TO SCHOOL: Per Academic Marking Period
Tardiness for reasons such as oversleeping, missing the bus and car problems are not excused tardies. If a student arrives late to school, report to the office for a tardy slip indicating the reason for tardiness and to document the tardy on the appropriate office form.
~Tardiness to school due to a professional appointment and those deemed so by the administration shall be excused.
~Tardiness is considered arriving to school after 7:55 A.M., which requires a student to have to ring into the building, check
into the office, and receive a red tardy slip before reporting to first period class.
~Those students who accumulate three (3) tardies per marking period will be assigned to one hour of after school
detention. Students who accumulate tardies beyond three (3) will be assigned to one day of ISS for each infraction.
**Please note: Tardies to school and tardies to class accumulate throughout the school year in terms of attendance (not discipline). When a student receives seven tardies to school and/or class, these tardies are counted as one day of unexcused absence to school.
TARDIES TO CLASSES: Per Academic Marking Period
Students have five minutes to pass in the hallways between classes. There is no reason why a student should be late to a class, particularly on a repeated basis or in more than one class. Provisions for academic make-up work may apply for excessive individual class absences.
~If a student arrives late to class, teachers will require an admission pass from the person who detained the student.
~If a student was detained in the office, or by a teacher, students should ask for a pass from that person before reporting to
class.
~Students who accumulate three (3) unexcused tardies within a marking period will be assigned to one hour of after school detention. Students who accumulate tardies beyond three (3) will be assigned to one day of ISS for each infraction.
**Please note: Tardies to school and tardies to class accumulate throughout the school year in terms of attendance (not discipline). When a student receives seven tardies to school and/or class, these tardies are counted as one day of unexcused absence to school.