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514 STUDENT ATTENDANCE

A. Purpose 1. The school board believes that regular school attendance is directly related to success in academic work, benefits students socially, provides opportunities for important communications between teachers and students, and establishes regular habits of dependability important to the future of the student. The purpose of this policy is to encourage regular school attendance. It is intended to be positive and not punitive. 2. This policy also recognizes that class attendance is a joint responsibility to be shared by the student, parent/guardian, teacher, and administrators. B. General Statement of Policy 1. The School Day: In accordance with the regulations of the Minnesota Department of Education, and the Minnesota Compulsory Instruction Law, Minn. Stat. 120A.22, the students of the school district are REQUIRED to attend all assigned classes and/or study halls every day school is in session, unless the student has a valid excuse for absence. The school day normally starts at 8:30 a.m. and ends at 3:15 p.m. 2. Responsibilities: The responsibility for attendance is shared by the student, parents, and the school. Students must attend all assigned classes and/or study halls every day school is in session. Excessive absences, as discussed below, may result in loss of credit. C. Attendance Procedures (Attendance procedures apply to all students in all grades). A student will be considered absent when he/she is not in school or in class. 1. Excused Absence: a. Illness. b. Serious illness in the student's immediate family. c. A death in the student's immediate family or of a close friend or relative. d. Medical or dental treatment. If at all possible, students and their parents/guardians will schedule appointments to correspond to non-school days; or in a manner such that the student will miss as little school time as possible. e. Court appearances occasioned by family or personal action. f. Religious instruction not to exceed three hours in any week. g. Physical emergency conditions such as fire, flood, storm, etc. h. Official school field trip or other school-sponsored outing, including approved extracurricular activities, unless a student is on the academic ineligibility list and has not completed the same reinstatement as required for athletics. i. Removal of a student pursuant to a suspension. Suspensions are to be handled as excused absences, and students will be permitted to complete make-up work. j. For family vacations, the school office must be notified in advance in writing so student work is requested before the trip. It is strongly recommended that any missed assignments be completed and turned in to teachers, upon the students return. k. Post-secondary school visits. l. Driver's education absences. 2. Unexcused Absences, Non-truant: The following are examples of absences which will NOT be excused: a. Any absence in which the student failed to comply with any reporting requirements of the school district's attendance procedures. b. Work at a home. c. Work at a business, except under a school-sponsored work release program. d. Vacations with family not in accordance with the reporting requirements of the school district's attendance procedures. e. Excessive personal trips to schools or colleges. f. Absences resulting from cumulated unexcused tardies (4 tardies equal one unexcused absence). g. Any other absence not included under the attendance procedures set out in this policy. 3. Unexcused Absences: Truant: Truancy is an absence by a student which was not approved by the parent and/or school district. a. No note is presented or no phone call is received. b. The note produced by the student is verifiably inaccurate or is a forgery. 4. Reporting Absences a. In order for absences to be excused, the student must bring a note from the student's parent/guardian or the medical/dental office stating the reason for the absence. In the alternative, a parent/guardian may call the school with an honest and valid reason for the absence and the date of the absence. b. If no note or phone call is presented, the school will attempt to call the parent/guardian. c. The school is to be notified in advance for any period of a family vacation to be considered an excused absence. d. The office will issue an admit slip, which is to be shown to teachers prior to readmission to a class following an absence. No student will be readmitted to class without this slip. Admit slips should be picked up from the office before classes begin and returned to the office when signed by all teachers. e. The superintendent may develop additional regulations for the reporting or recording of absences. 5. Consequences of: a. Excused Absences: i. Students whose absences are excused are required to make up all assignments missed or to complete alternative assignments as deemed appropriate by the classroom teacher. ii. Work missed because of absence must be made up within a reasonable time frame set by the teacher from the date of the student's return to school (usually two days for each one day of absence). Any work not completed within this period shall result in "no credit" for the missed assignment. However, the building principal or the classroom teacher may extend the time allowed for completion of make-up work in the case of an extended illness or other extenuation circumstances. iii. Participation Grade - A daily participation grade may be given in a class. Students with an excused absence must be given the opportunity to make up their participation grade. Students with unexcused absences or truancies may lose their daily participation grade. b. Unexcused Absences i. In cases of five or more unexcused absences, the administration may also request the county attorney to file a petition with the juvenile court, pursuant to Minnesota Statutes. ii. Students with unexcused absences shall be subject to discipline in the following manner: (a) For the first 5 unexcused absences per quarter, the student will not be allowed to make up work missed due to such absences. (b) After the 4th cumulated unexcused absence in a quarter, a student's parent/guardian will be notified by certified mail that his or her child is nearing a total of 5 unexcused absences in a quarter and that, upon the 5th unexcused absence in a quarter, the student's grade shall be reduced by one increment for each unexcused absence thereafter. (c) After such notification that student, or his/her parent/guardian may, within a reasonable time, request a conference with school officials regarding the student's absences and the prescribed discipline. The notification will state that the school strongly urges the student's parent/guardian to request such a conference. (d) Upon 5 cumulative unexcused absences in a quarter, the teacher will reduce the student's letter grade by one increment for each unexcused absence thereafter (i.e. A to A-). However, prior to reducing the student's grade, an administrative conference must be held between the principal, student, and parent. (e) Upon 10 cumulated unexcused absences in a semester, the administration may impose the loss of academic credit in the class or classes from which the student has been absent. However, prior to loss of credit, an administrative conference must be held between the principal, student, and parent. (f) If the result of a grade reduction or loss of credit has the effect of an expulsion, the school district will follow the procedures set forth in the Pupil Fair Dismissal Act, Minn. Stat. 121A.40-121A.56. These consequences also apply to truancy: The FIRST INCIDENT, during the school year, will require that all time missed will be made up by serving in school suspension. The SECOND INCIDENT, during the school year, will require that all time missed be made up by serving in school suspension and a parent conference will be scheduled. The THIRD INCIDENT during the school year, will require that all time missed be served as in school suspension, plus two additional days of in school suspension and a parent conference. 6. Tardiness: Students are expected to be in their assigned area at designated times. Failure to do so constitutes tardiness. a. Excused Tardiness: Valid excuses for tardiness must meet the same criteria as for an excused absence, and be for one of the following grounds: i. Illness; ii. Serious illness in the student's immediate family; iii. A death in the student's immediate family or of a close friend or relative; iv. Medical or dental treatment; v. Court appearances occasioned by family or personal action; vi. Physical emergency conditions such as fire, flood, storm, etc.; vii. Any tardiness for which the student has been excused in writing by an administrator or faculty member. b. Unexcused Tardiness: An unexcused tardiness is failing to be in an assigned area at the time the class period commences without a valid excuse. Examples of invalid excuses include sleeping in, visiting, and other personal excuses. c. Reporting Tardiness: i. Students tardy at the start of school and the period following lunch, must report to the school office for an admission slip. ii. Tardiness between periods will be handled by the classroom teacher. d. Consequences of Tardiness: i. Teachers are not allowed to admit late comers to class without an admit slip during first period and the period following lunch. ii. Consequences of unexcused tardiness include detention according to the following: (a) 1st Tardy = 30 minute detention (b) 2nd Tardy = 60 minute detention (c) 3rd Tardy = 60 minute detention (d) 4th Tardy = Parent and student conference with administration. In addition every 4 unexcused tardies are equivalent to one unexcused absence. 7. Closed Campus: The school campus is a closed campus which means students are not allowed to leave the school grounds at any time during the regular school day without specific approval from the principal. a. Any student leaving school for any reason during the school day MUST check with the principal and sign-out. b. Students also MUST sign-in in the office, if they return to school during the school day. c. Early dismissals will be granted only if a parent/guardian advises the school in advance by phone or note AND it is cleared with the principal. d. Students who fail to meet the closed campus requirements may be charged with an unexcused absence, depending on the circumstances, and could face disciplinary action. e. Out-of-school individuals are prohibited from picking up students during the lunch break and from loitering with students on the school grounds. f. Visitors must register with the office upon arrival at the building and must receive a visitor's pass before entering the building farther. 8. Participation in Extracurricular Activities and School-Sponsored On-the-Job Training Programs: a. This policy applies to all students involved in any extracurricular activity scheduled either during or outside the school day and any school-sponsored on-the-job training programs. b. School-initiated absences will be accepted and participation permitted. c. A student may not participate in any activity or program, if he/she has an unexcused absence from any class during the day. d. If a student is suspended from any class, he/she may be excluded from participating in any activity or program that day. e. If a student is absent from school due to medical reasons, he/she must present a physician's statement or a statement from the student's parent/guardian clearing the student for participation that day. The note must be presented to the coach or advisor before the student participates in the activity or program. D. Required Reporting 1. Continuing Truant: Minn. Stat 260A.02 provides that a continuing truant is a student who is subject to the compulsory instruction requirements of Minn. Stat. 120A.22 and is absent from instruction in school, as defined in Minn. Stat. 120A.05, without valid excuse within a single school year for: a. Three days if the child is in elementary school; or b. Three or more class periods on three days if the child is in middle school, junior high school or high school. 2. Reporting Responsibility: When a student is initially classified as a continuing truant, Minn. Stat. 260A.03 provides that the school attendance officer or other designated school official shall notify the student's parent or legal guardian, by first class mail or other reasonable means, of the following: a. That the child is truant; b. That the parent or guardian should notify the school if there is a valid excuse for the child's absences; c. That the parent or guardian is obligated to compel the attendance of the child at school pursuant to Minn. Stat. 120A.22 and parents or guardians who fail to meet this obligation may be subject to prosecution under Minn. Stat. 120A.34; d. That this notification serves as the notification required by Minn. Stat. 120A.34; e. That alternative educational programs and services may be available in the district; f. That the parent or guardian has the right to meet with appropriate school personnel to discuss solutions to the child's truancy; g. That if the child continues to be truant, the parent and child may be subject to juvenile court proceedings under Minn. Stat. Ch. 260; h. That if the child is subject to juvenile court proceedings, the child may be subject to suspension, restrictions or delay of the child's driving privilege pursuant to Minn. Stat. 260C.201; and i. That it is recommended that the parent/guardian accompany the child to school and attend classes with the child for one day. 3. Habitual Truant: a. An habitual truant is a child under the age of 16 years who is absent from attendance at school without lawful excuse for seven school days if the child is in elementary school or for one or more class periods on seven school days if the child is in middle school, junior high school, or high school, or a child who is 16 or 17 years of age who is absent from attendance at school without lawful excuse for one or more class periods on seven school days and who has not lawfully withdrawn from school. b. A school district attendance officer shall refer a habitual truant child and the child's parent or legal guardian to appropriate services and procedures, under Minn. Stat. Ch. 260A. E. Dissemination of Policy Copies of this policy shall be made available to all students and parents at the commencement of each school year. This policy shall also be available upon request in each principal's office. F. Perfect Attendance Perfect attendance awards will be distributed at the end of each school year to those students who were in attendance each day of the school year. A student may have no more than three excused tardies and can have no unexcused tardies to be eligible for the award. A student will be allowed one half day absence for taking his/her driver's examination and still be eligible for perfect attendance. G. Excused From Class No teacher has the authority to excuse a student from some other class unless it is by prior agreement with that teacher or sanctioned by the principal. There should be no movement within the school during scheduled class periods without a pass. A pass is needed before leaving any classroom or school area to travel to another area of the school. Infractions of this rule will follow the guidelines set forth in the code of consequences.

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