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Frequently Asked Questions
Concerning Attendance
If a parent/guardian would
like to register an email address for confidential communications, such
as attendance records, please come to the attendance office and fill out
an application.
à
What do I need to send for my child’s absence to
be excused?
o
Excused absences must be cleared with documentation such as a
doctor’s note, a program from a funeral, or a subpoena to appear in
court. Six times a year, a student may use a note from a parent.
à
If I check my child out early or
bring them late due to a doctor’s visit, do I need to send a note?
o
In order to excuse an absence, the student must have a
note from a parent or a doctor. This includes partial day absences.
Only six parent notes per year will be accepted.
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How many excused or unexcused absences are
allowed?
o
Four excused absences are allowed in an individual class before
credit is lost. There are no acceptable unexcused absences.
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What is truancy?
o
Any unexcused absence is considered a truancy. Truancies
can result in both school and legal consequences. School
consequences are outlined by the code of conduct. Legal consequences
range from a fine of up to 1500 dollars on the parents to removal
from school and/or jail time.
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What is the difference between
excused and unexcused absences?
o
Excused and unexcused absences are local labels used
simply to determine whether an absence is a truancy or not. These
labels do not apply to attendance for credit, as the state does not
recognize excused or unexcused labels. Instead, state law states,
"students must attend ninety percent of instruction in order to
receive credit in a course." After the fourth absence in a class for
any reason, students will lose credit for that class.
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My child did not receive credit
in a class due to excessive absences. How is this determined?
o
Credit is lost in a class on the fifth absence. Excused or
unexcused status is not relevant.
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How can a student be absent from
1 or more classes?
o
Beginning with the Intermediate grades, student attendance is taken
each class period unlike in the elementary grades where it was
recorded once. State law for attendance applies to each class the
student. If you receive a call from the automated call-out system
stating your student was absent on a day he/she should have been in
school, please call the school and ask for the attendance office.
They can verify your child’s attendance and refer you to the child’s
assistant principal if further review is needed.
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How many college visit days can my child who is a
senior have?
o
A senior can have up to 2 days used for college visits.
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How can my child regain credit in classes he
passed but had too many absences?
o
If a student loses credit in a course and has mitigating
circumstances, the student may file an appeal to restore credit.
Appeals forms will be available through the attendance office. Once
the appeal has been filed, it will automatically go through a Level
I review by the attendance principal. If a student is denied credit
by a level I appeal , and that student wishes to go to a level II
appeal before a committee of teachers, an appeals addendum will be
made available through the attendance office.
Both the attendance principal and the level II attendance
committee have the authorization to offer the following remedies:
·All
absences are waived and credit is granted
·Credit
will be granted after the student completes a program designated
by the appeals authority which may include making up time,
making up work, community service, or any other activity
designated by the program.
·No
remedy. Credit is denied.
NO REMEDY WILL BE OFFERED FOR STUDENTS WHO HAVE UNEXCUSED
ABSENCES.
If a student is denied credit in a course, that semester
average will not be allowed to average in for a yearly grade.
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I get automated phone calls saying my child has
been absent from 1 or more classes. My child says he/she was tardy
or went on a field trip. Why do I still get these calls?
o
The attendance office does not usually get all absences marked as
being a tardy or a school related absence before the call-out system
begins making calls. We feel it is important for parents to know
that their student is missing classes or possibly is chronically
tardy. If you child tells you that they were tardy and you want to
verify this, please call the school and ask for the attendance
office. The attendance clerks can look up the information and
verify if your child was tardy.
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