Regular school attendance, in addition to being mandated by state law, is very important to your child’s education. Learning takes place on a daily basis. When absent, your child will miss many learning experiences that cannot be duplicated. However, please use good judgment and common sense when making the decision as to whether or not your child is healthy enough to come to school.

If your child must miss school, please keep in mind the following:

• Generally, an absence will qualify as excused in cases of personal illness, death of an immediate family member, and necessary medical/dental treatment.
• When a student is absent/tardy, the child must submit an excuse within 3 days of their return to school. The note can be written, emailed, or sent via the online absence form on your school website. Any written note must include the name of the student, date of absence, reason for the absence, and signature of a parent/guardian. If the student fails to supply an excuse within three days, the absence is marked illegal. No reminders will typically be sent home requesting notes for absences
• After 4 illegal days, an attendance improvement conference will be scheduled. After 6 illegal days, a criminal complaint will be filed with the district justice.  If continued absences accrue, students will be referred to an attendance improvement program or Children & Youth.
• Excessive absences occurring during the school year will result in attendance letters being mailed to notify you after 3 illegal days, 6+ illegal days, and 10 days missed.
• After 10 days of absence, the student may be required to provide a doctor’s excuse in order for any future absences to be marked as legal.

Regardless of whether a note has been sent in, some excuses for absence are still illegal and will be marked as such even if a note is received. Some examples of these types of absences are: Inclement Weather, Road Construction, Missed Buses, Visiting Family, Overslept, mental health day, Too Tired, etc.

Unexpected family issues and emergencies may be marked excused or illegal at the discretion of the building principal.

Eight incidents of unexcused tardiness or early dismissals, regardless of number of minutes, shall constitute one full day of unlawful absence.