Attendance Policy
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ATTENDANCE PROCEDURE
Idaho law requires any person under sixteen years of age be enrolled in school. State law also requires each school district to establish an attendance policy. The Middle School Attendance Policy can be found in Appendix E of this handbook.
1. When a student is absent from school, a parent or guardian should call the school by 10:00 a.m. that day with the following information:
a) parent or guardian's name
b) student's name
c) reason for absence
d) estimated date of return
2. If no call has been made, the student must provide the main office with a note from a parent or guardian stating the reason and dates of the absence. After 48 hours, unverified absences will be noted as a truancy.
3. Students who arrive at school after the first tardy bell should report to the main office to sign in.
4. Students are allowed six (6) absences per class period during the trimester. Students who receive seven (7) absences in any class will lose credit unless cleared by the attendance office as extraordinary within five (5) days of the absence. Verbal communication must come from a parent/guardian within 48 hours of their absence to prevent truancy.
5. The following absences count against a student’s total of six (6) absences: In-School Suspension (I), Out of School Suspension (O), Truancy (R), Unverified (A), Verified (E), Unexcused (U)
MAKE-UP WORK
After an absence, it is the student’s responsibility to communicate with the teacher for make-up work. The student must complete and turn in work within a reasonable time in accordance with the teacher’s late work policy.
TARDIES
Students are considered tardy if not in their assigned classrooms when the tardy bell rings. Tardies accrue on a trimester basis. The tardy policy incorporates the following:
- First Tardy -- Teacher warns student
- Second Tardy -- Warning Slip sent to the student
- Third & Fourth Tardy -- Student assigned to lunch detention
- Additional Tardies -- Lunch detention and additional consequences may be assigned.
Parents please note: Only students riding school provided transportation will not be marked tardy. All other late arrivals (except from medical appointments) are considered absent as stated below.
Any student who misses more than ten (10 ) minutes of any class period will be marked absent that period. All students must check in and out through the attendance office to verify arrival and departure times.
Tardies due to excessive traffic will be excused with a parent phone call or note from the parent.
TRUANCY
Truancy is defined as a student being absent without approval of his/her parents, guardian, or school officials. Truancy occurs when:
1. an unauthorized phone call is made to the school;
2. an unauthorized note is sent to school;
3. the parent refuses to excuse an absence;
4. the student leaves school without permission to leave;
5. the student is in the building, but is out of class without permission.
Full-day truancies or single-period cuts will result in a parent contact or conference. Students declared truant may be assigned to lunch detention to make up the time they have missed. Habitual truancies will be turned over to the School Resource Officer.