20. Attendance/Tardy Policy
ATTENDANCE/TARDY POLICY (Refer to BOE Policy JB, JBD)
It shall be the policy of the board of education to encourage regular attendance at school by all students. At no time are "walk-outs" or "skip days" condoned. Regular attendance contributes not only to the probability of scholastic success, but also to the development of attitudes of consistent performance, which will carry over into adult life.
A. General
Our school is committed to the philosophy that every student should attend every class every day. Regular attendance and punctuality are expected in all classes and are essential for success in school. Learning to participate in group discussions, developing an appreciation for the views and abilities of other students, and forming the habits of regular attendance and punctuality are legitimate objectives for any course. Learning that is lost due to absences or tardies can never be adequately replaced.
The intent of this attendance policy is to place the burden of responsibility for attendance upon the student and the parent. The concerned student who is absent for a legitimate reason has nothing to fear from this policy. The student who is absent from class for other than legitimate reasons will find it difficult to justify such absences and runs a definite risk of losing academic credits and of suspension from school. Students who are truant will be reported to the proper enforcement agency as required by law.
Students who are chronically absent run the risk of losing academic credits. Chronic absenteeism is defined by KSDE as:
Chronic Absenteeism: According to the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE), “being chronically absent means a student is missing 10 percent or more of school, for both excused and unexcused reasons. This puts the student at a higher risk of not graduating high school and possibly becoming a high school dropout.” Chronic absenteeism is not the same thing as truancy. Chronic absenteeism considers excused and unexcused absences, and truancy considers only unexcused absences.
B. Valid Excuses and Unexcused Absences
Students are allotted 10 excused days (48 blocks) for the school year. Students who miss more than 10 days due to illness during the school year may be required to supply documentation from a health care provider in order for absences to be excused. Valid excuses or excused absences are defined as:
1. Any illness (either personal or family) or disability of a student.
2. Attendance at funerals.
3. Pre-approved family event.
4. Doctor appointment
Excused absences must be requested by phone from the parent or guardian no later than the day the student returns to school. A written note will be accepted only if a phone is not available.
C. Once a student arrives at school he/she is expected to report to and attend his/her regularly scheduled classes in their entirety. Parents may not excuse a student from class(es) but allow him/her to be present in other areas of the building. If a student is in the building, but not in class, the absence will be unexcused. If a student skips class, there will be disciplinary action.
D. If a student becomes ill after arriving at school he/she must check with the nurse. The nurse's office is located in the counseling area. Medications will not be given unless approved by a parent/guardian (e.g. - aspirin).The nurse will make the decision as to whether the student should remain at school or be sent home. If the nurse is unavailable, the student is to check with an administrator. When students are sent home from school by a school nurse or administration, these absences will not count towards the allotted 10 days of excused absences for the school year.
E. A student 18 years old who is self-supporting and not living at home (with parents and guardians) may call in and excuse an absence. A student 18 years old living at home must have a parent or guardian call to excuse an absence.
F. Truancy and Possible Suspension (Refer BOE Policy JBE)
The board of education does not condone truancy for any reason and encourages all students to attend school on a regular and systematic basis. Any student under the age of 18 who is absent more than three consecutive days, five or more days in any semester, or seven or more days in a school year without a valid excuse is declared a truant.
However, the parent of a 16 or 17 year old may allow the student, with written consent, to be exempt from the compulsory attendance requirement provided that both parent(s)/guardian(s) and student attend a final exit conference with school officials and sign a "disclaimer" before exercising the dropout option. When a student has been declared a truant, a hearing may be held to determine if the student will be suspended or expelled. If a student is not 18 years old, the proper juvenile authority will also be notified so that appropriate action can be taken.
G. Unexcused Absences:
| Time Frame | Intervention |
| Daily | An attempt will be made to contact parents for all unexcused absences. |
| 3 consecutive (in a row) unexcused absences and/or 15 Blocks | Student will meet with administrator and a letter will be sent home. |
| 5 unexcused absences per semester and/or 25 Blocks | Student will be assigned one (1) Friday night school and parent contact will be established. A truancy letter will be sent home. |
| 7 unexcused absences per year and/or 35 Blocks | Student will be assigned one (1) day of in-school suspension. If the student is less than 17 years old, a letter will be sent home 17 AND a truancy affidavit will be filed with the appropriate authorities. |
| 10 excused or unexcused absences | The student may be dropped from school if the administrator is unable to make contact with the student and/or parent/guardian. If the student, after being dropped, desires to return to school, he/she must re-enroll at MHEC (Mary Herbert Education Center). |
H. Excessive Tardies
Tardies are a classroom disruption and will be handled as a disciplinary action. Students arriving more than 20 mins after the tardy bell will be marked absent. Parents may excuse their student for being late to school three times per semester with no disciplinary action. After the three parent excuses are used, all tardies to school will count toward the total number of tardies. The following guidelines will be used to address unexcused tardy referrals and violations:
| Incident (Per Class) | Possible Consequence |
| Unexcused Tardy - 1st Offense | Restorative conversation by the teacher of the class |
| Unexcused Tardy - 2nd Offense | Teacher will notify a parent/guardian of a student's tardiness. |
| Unexcused Tardy - 3rd Offense and thereafter | Administrator assigned consequence (lunch detention, Friday Night School, ISS/OSS, or other consequence assigned by the administrator)v |
All referrals assigned during the first semester because of tardies are removed at the beginning of the second semester.
I. Opportunities for Make-Up Work (Refer to BOE Policy IHEA)
After excused absences, including school activities, an opportunity to make up work missed will be extended provided the student contacts the teacher when he/she next attends class after returning to school. It is the student's responsibility to make this contact. The amount of work to be made up and the deadline for the work to be completed will be a personal matter between the student and the teacher. The general guideline is the number of days missed may be considered a satisfactory additional amount of time to make up consecutive excused absences. The teacher will keep a written record of such agreements to minimize misunderstandings. Teachers using attendance as a part of their grading policy will not penalize students whose absences are excused or due to school-related activities.
Students who miss class due to an unexcused absence will not be allowed to make up the work missed without teacher approval. Students will be allowed to make up work from a suspension for credit, but it must be turned in the day the student returns to class from suspension. It is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to pick up the work from school. If a student is enrolled in a dual credit class, the student is expected to follow the course syllabus set by the instructor.
J. Excessive Absences and Possible Loss of Credit
Attendance in classes is very important and poor grades are often caused by poor attendance. A student may be dropped from class or classes if absences (excused or unexcused) have brought the student to failing or near failing. When a student has a total of seven (7) absences in a specific class a conference may be held with the student, parent and administrator present. The importance of attendance will be stressed and the student's overall attendance record will be reviewed.
K. Senior Week Attendance
Seniors, graduating or non-graduating, may return after seniors' last day only upon the request of a teacher or an administrator.
EXTENDED ILLNESS / PLANNED ABSENCE (Out of Country Travel)
In case of planned absence or extended illness of two days or more, parents are encouraged to contact the office in advance to complete necessary paperwork. Students are required to complete the extended illness/planned absence paperwork from the counseling office and to contact their teachers and collect required assignments/work through email and/or Google Classroom.