Attendance

ATTENDANCE The Board of Education and staff of the Boone Central Schools believe that regular school attendance is of crucial importance to the achievement of each student and encourage students to attend school regularly. The primary responsibility of assuring regular school attendance rests with the parents. A student≠s responsibilities to school with regards to attendance is similar to an employee≠s responsibilities to the employer. YOU ARE EXPECTED TO BE IN SCHOOL EVERY DAY THAT SCHOOL IS IN SESSION or we must be notified of the reason for your inability to attend school and have the opportunity to approve or disapprove of that request. If you are ill, your parents are to call the office the morning of your absence by 8:30 a.m. and request that you be excused. Notes from physicians stating that you were under a doctor≠s care and unable to attend school may be necessary in order to avoid the possibility of making up time for excessive absenteeism later on in the year. However, these DOCTOR≠S NOTES SHOULD BE PRESENTED IMMEDIATELY UPON YOUR RETURN TO SCHOOL. IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO ASK FOR A NOTE WHEN YOU ARE AT THE DOCTOR≠S OFFICE. Health care provider's (doctors, dentists, counselors, etc) appointments do not excuse students for the entire day of the appointment. Only the time it takes to get to the office, see the doctor, and return to school are excused periods. If the doctor requests you stay at home or if your previous recent absences were the result of this specific illness, that information must be included in the doctor's note. When a student's absences exceed ten days, it may be necessary to use a special form provided by the school to excuse health-related absences.

MAKE-UP WORK Students will be given one day to complete make-up work for each day of excused absences but individual teachers still have the discretion of when the work will be due. This does not apply in the case of suspension, exclusions, or unexcused absences. The responsibility for obtaining assignments is that of the student. If the absence is planned and/or a school activity, then the student should make up the work in advance or as per the instruction from each individual teacher.

PREPLANNED ABSENCES Most absences other than sudden illness can be planned for in advance. If you know that you will need to be absent for a medical appointment or other preplanned activity, your parent is to call or send a note at least two days in advance requesting that you be permitted to miss school. You will then be issued a make-up slip from the office that must be signed by all teachers and returned before you leave. Dental and doctor appointments should be arranged for at a time other than during school, except when absolutely necessary.

ABSENCES FOR SCHOOL ACTIVITIES Students who are participating in activities that cause them to miss classes are required to have their work made up in advance as indicated by returning a ≥blue slip≈ prior to the deadline established. All blue slips must be given to the teacher, sponsor, or coach responsible for the activity before 4:00 the day before the activity. The teacher, sponsor, or coach responsible for the activity will turn in the blue slips to the office by 4:00 the day before the activity. Students not returning completed blue slips on time may not be allowed to attend the activity. Blue slip violations will result in detentions.

TARDINESS School begins every day at 8:10. Every student is expected to be on time every day. If you are tardy coming to school either upon arrival in the morning or upon returning from lunch, you are to report to the Principal≠s office for a pass. If you are late for class, you have been reported as absent and you need to clear the record when you report for your tardy slip. With the third tardy during any semester, detention time is assigned for each unexcused tardy. An unexcused tardy for half or more of the class period counts as an unexcused absence and the whole period will have to be made up.

SCHOOL ATTENDANCE - PHILOSOPHY No amount of ≥make-up≈ time or alternative assignments can adequately take the place of regularly scheduled classroom activities, instruction and interaction. Poor attendance patterns are often symptoms of more severe problems including undiagnosed physical or psychological disorders, chemical dependency or other equally serious situations. A concerted effort to identify students with less than acceptable attendance patterns will be made to work with students, parents, health professionals, social services and the legal system to assure acceptable attendance of all children. Telephone contact, home visitations and team conferences will be used as an integral part of our effort to improve attendance patterns.

ATTENDANCE POLICY State law requires that we provide a minimum of 1080 hours of instruction for secondary students. State law also requires that parents/guardians cause their children between the ages of 7-16 to attend school regularly. Students/parents in non-compliance with state statutes must be reported to our school attendance officer. The Boone County Attorney, in cooperation with local law enforcement, serves our school district in this capacity. A minimum attendance requirement has been established, allowing for no more than ten days of authorized absenteeism each year. When that maximum has been reached, approval for absences for reasons other than documented illness is not routinely authorized. Special requests need to be cleared through the Principal in advance. Total school attendance will be checked periodically (at least once each quarter) during the school yea r. Parents of students who have missed four or more undocumented days during the first semester and/or eight or more undocumented days during the second semester will receive a letter notifying them of the situation. Once a student exceeds his/her ten allotted days, every period missed after that will result in making up time equal to that missed. If the problem persists, at fifteen days, and everyday thereafter, of unauthorized absence the attendance officer may be called to go to the house to bring the student to school. Time will be scheduled outside the regular school day to make up deficiencies caused by unauthorized absenteeism. This will include detentions and Saturday school. Teacher team meetings and parental conferences will be called in order to assist in the identification of attendance problems and the formulation of action plans to assist in the improvement of attendance or the education of students unable to attend because of documented long-term medical problems. Doctor documentation will be requested of students after maximum levels of absenteeism have been reached.

TRUANCY Truancy is never acceptable and is defined as any time a student is absent from school without the knowledge and permission of both the parent/guardian and the school. Double the time missed may be assigned to be made up during detention hall or Saturday school for truancy.

LEAVING & RETURNING TO CAMPUS DURING THE SCHOOL DAY BEFORE YOU LEAVE SCHOOL FOR ANY REASON DURING THE SCHOOL DAY, YOU MUST FIRST REPORT TO THE PRINCIPAL≠S OFFICE FOR PERMISSION TO LEAVE. A note from your parent will need to be presented before you sign out. Only the principal or his secretary may give students permission to leave school during the day. Failure to get permission and/or to sign out may result in a detention. If you become ill during the school day, report directly to the nurse≠s office. The nurse will determine if you should be sent home and will notify the principal≠s office that you will need to sign out. Students will not be sent home until parents/guardian (or emergency contact) is contacted. If you are returning to school after being absent for part of the day, you must first sign in at the principal's office before reporting to class.