Absences and Excuses
Elementary and Intermediate School Students
Middle School Students
High School Students

Elementary and Intermediate School Students

Loss of Promotion

Students are therefore limited to

• Ten absences with a Doctor's excuse, and
• Ten absences of any other kind (including absences with parent notes, out-of-school suspensions, sign-out, and unexcused absences).

Written excuses, from either a parent or physician, are required for all absences, with the exception of sign-ins and sign-outs with the parent's signature.   Written excuses submitted more than three days after the student's return to school will not be accepted.

Elementary and intermediate school students who miss part of a day will be counted present for the day it they are in school at least four hours, and will be counted present for the day if they are in school at least four hours, and will be counted absent for the day if they are in school less than four hours.

Excessive unexcused absences can lead to referral of parents to the Department of Social services for educational neglect.

Students with illnesses resulting in confinement to home or hospital for five or more consecutive days should apply for homebound instruction.  Applications are available at school.  Homebound students may not attend part days of school, school functions, or any other non-medical activity during the time they are on homebound instruction.

Students who are passing their subjects but are not promoted due to absences may ask that their situation be reviewed at the end of the school year if their absences are due to extreme hardship or extenuating circumstances.

Middle School Students

Failure Due to Absences

In Classes Held Every Other Day

Students are limited to:

Ten absences with a Doctor's excuse, and Ten absencees of any other kind.

Excuses

Written excuses, from either a parent or physician, are required for all absences, except when parents personally appear to sign the student in or out.   Written excuses submitted more than three days after the student's return to school will not be accepted.

Students may make up as many as three days' absences by attending three Saturday Schools.  Saturday Schools attended for discipline reasons DO NOT also count towards making up absence days.

Because middle school absences are counted by class, students are counted absent in the classes they miss and present in those they attend that day.  Students who sign in or out must be present a minimum of sixty minutes in a class held every other day, and forty minutes in a class held every day, to be counted present in that class.

Excessive unexcused absences can lead to truancy proceedings in juvenite court.

Students with illnesses refultling in confinement to home or hospital for five or more consecutive days should apply for homebound instruction.  Applications are available at school.  Homebound students may not attend part days of school, school functions, or any other non-medical activity during the time they are on homebound instruction.

Students who are passing their subjects but have lost credit due to absences may ask that their credit loss be reviewed at the end of the school year IF their absences are due to extreme hardship or extenuating circumstances.  
NOTE:   In order to appeal, the student must:

have attended three Saturday Schools; and have no discipline record for cutting class or leaving school grounds, without permission.

High School Students

Loss of Course Credit

Absences in Academic Courses

Students in academic courses are limited to:

Absences in Occupational  Courses

Students in Occupational Multi-Period courses, one year in length and meeting daily are limited to:

Written excuses, from either a parent or physician, are required for all absences, except when parents personally appear to sign the student in or out.   Written excuses submitted more than three days after the student's return to school will not be accepted.

Students may make up as many as three days' absences by attending three Saturday Schools.  Saturday Schools attended for discipline reasons DO NOT also count towards making up absence days.

High School attendance is counted by class.  Student who sing in or out must be in class a minimum of sixty minutes to be counted present in that class.

Excessive unexcused absences can lead to truancy proceedings in juvenile court.

Students with illnesses resulting in confinement to home or hospital for five or more consecutive days should apply for homebound instruction.  Applications are available at school.  Homebound students may not attend work, part days of school, school functions, or any other non-medical activity during the time they are on homebound instruction.  
Note:  High School students on homebound for more than a two week period will be required to drop courses with labs and courses with hands-on instruction.  Should the student require extended homebound, every tow weeks his schedule will be reviewed to determine other courses to be dropped as the school year progresses.

Students who are passing their subjects but have lost credit due to absences may ask that their credit loss be reviewed at the end of the school year IF their absences are due to extreme hardship or extenuating circumstances.  
NOTE:   In order to appeal, the student must:

have attended three Saturday Schools; and have no discipline record for cutting class or leaving school grounds, without permission.

Warning:  The standard for appeals is becoming more stringent annually.

If  you have questions, please contact the attendance office at your school. Beth Harrison, Attendance, Supervisor August, 1999