DISTRICT ATTENDANCE POLICIES
The information below can also be found with the SHS Student Handbook. For easy access, we thought it would be helpful to also add this to our website for student and parent quick information.
Article C -ATTENDANCE REGULATIONS
Arizona law requires students to attend school through the tenth grade or age sixteen. The right and privilege of attending public school carries with it certain responsibilities on the part of both parents and students.
School attendance is ultimately the responsibility of the student and his/her family. Students should be absent from school only when absolutely necessary, as much of the classroom activity cannot be appropriately made up; the benefits of lectures, discussion and participation is often lost forever to those who are absent. It is the responsibility of school personnel to keep the parents informed of actions that might have a detrimental effect upon the educational growth of the student. Regular attendance is the key to much of the success a student may gain from his/her educational program.
DEFINITIONS defined by A.R.S.§15-803.
A. Tardy is defined as arriving after the start of the regular school day, at the assigned location, ready for classroom activity. The teacher must admit all tardy students to class upon arrival to class. If a HS student is more than 6 minutes late to class without a note from another teacher, administrator, or staff member, that student will be referred to the attendance office for an absence and admit.
B. Absence is defined as a student not being present in his/her assigned classroom during 90% of the assigned period.
C. Single Period Absences: No such absence will be excused without the student first checking out through the attendance office and then returning to check in with the office with written or phone verification of the appointment (i.e., medical, dental, or legal). This form of absence may lead to a backpack search by administration.
D. An Unexcused absence is any absence from one or more class periods, which has not been excused by a parent
according to the procedures listed below.
E. An Excused Absence is any absence from one or more class periods which have been excused by a parent according to the procedures listed below. Excused absences shall also include early dismissals for athletics, etc.) No student may be excused from class by a parent and still remain on campus. State statutes limit the number of absences that a parent may excuse before credit is lost.
F. Truancy: A) A habitually truant child is a child between the ages of six and sixteen who has 5 days of unexcused absences within a single school year. (ARS 15-803). B) Arizona state law states that it is unlawful for any child between the ages of six and sixteen to fail to attend school during the hours school is in session unless exempt as defined by ARS 15-803.
If a parent fails to ensure that the child attends school, the law states that they are guilty of a “Class III Misdemeanor.” In the case of truancy, a law enforcement officer may cite the student, parent or guardian directly into court for violating the state truancy law. (ARS 15-802, 145-802, 15-803, 15-804, 15-805).
Prosecution of parent and/or child may result in any of the following consequences: attendance in an educational class, community work hours, counseling, etc. If you as a parent receive a citation for failure to provide for the education of your child and are convicted, it is a Class III Misdemeanor punishable by jail time and/or a fine.
Attendance Procedures:
A. It is the obligation of the parent of an absent student to contact the school attendance office prior to OR on the actual day of the absence. Parents need to call prior to the return of their child to school OR send a written/signed note explaining the absence on the day the student returns to school. At the time of the call-in, the parents are expected to verify the reasons for and date(s) of absence. (Parents must call OR provide a signed note when excusing the absence.) Messages may be left after-hours on a message phone.
B. Eighteen year old students may assume the responsibility of notifying the school of an absence with administration approval AND with proper emancipation documentation.
C. When a parent wishes to have a student excused before the close of the school day, the attendance office must be informed prior to the student’s departure.
DISCIPLINE PROCEDURES for POOR ATTENDANCE
Each school will publish attendance discipline procedures and disseminate them to all students and parents. Unacceptable patterns of attendance will be cause for revocation of open enrollment admission status. Excessive absences, unexcused absences and/or excessive tardiness may result in the student receiving disciplinary action and/or loss of credit. If dropping a student from classes for poor attendance results in the student being enrolled in four or fewer classes, the student shall be dropped from all of his/her classes and un-enrolled as a student at SHS.
A. High School Attendance Discipline
1) Drop from class as per Record Keeping Guidelines
If a student withdraws from an individual class during the first five days of the semester, nothing is entered on his/her record. If a student withdraws after five days of being enrolled in a class his/her record may show Withdrawal Failing (WF). A student withdrawing after September 15th during the first semester or February 15th in the 2nd semester will have
Withdrawal Failing (WF) recorded on his/her record, unless the student is failing the course(s). If the student is failing the course(s) at the time of withdrawal after the two dates mentioned above, a grade of Failing (F) will be recorded AND the grade will be computed into his/her Grade Point Average.
2) Unexcused Absences
First Warning
On the third unexcused absence, or as soon as the unexcused absences come to the attention of the administration, the
student and parent will be notified that the student may be put in audit status or dropped from the class.
Drop from Class
On the fifth unexcused absence, or as soon as the additional unexcused absences come to the attention of the
administration, the student may be put on an attendance contract, and if the behavior continues, the student may be
dropped from the class.
3) Excessive Excused Absences
A.R.S. §15-803 (B) states that absences may be considered excessive when the number of absent days exceeds ten percent of the number of required attendance days prescribed in A.R.S.§15-802. Students with excessive excused absences may be required to provide medical documentation to remain in class and excuse any further absences. If additional absences occur, and medical documentation is not provided, the student may be dropped from class(es) or will receive a “Credit Pending” (CP) for the class(es) in question.
4) Excessive Total Absences
Students who accumulate excessive total absences may be dropped from class(es) or receive an “CP” following notice to
the parent and student that the student will be dropped from class(es) if additional absences occur. The following consequences may also apply:
a. Citation by a law enforcement officer in accordance with Arizona truancy laws.
b. Adjustment of student schedule. Including un-enrolling student if the adjustment of schedule results in the student being enrolled in four or fewer classes.
5) Make-Up Work After Absences
The student shall be permitted the same amount of time he/she was absent to finish make-up work.
A. It is the student’s responsibility to initiate make-up scheduling for work missed.
B. Work missed due to excused absences: Credit may be earned for work made up on-time as a result of excused absences.
C. Work missed due to unexcused absence: May be made up for credit IF it is submitted within the allowed time frame.
D. Work missed due to suspension: Must be made up and credit will be given IF submitted within the time requirement.
E. Loss of participation points (and/or bell work) may occur for all absences except for school-excused absences.
6) ABSENCES DURING FINAL EXAMS (High School)
All students are highly encouraged to take final exams during the scheduled dates and times for finals. Students that are planning on being absent during finals must complete and turn into the Guidance Office a document signed by the Principal, Teachers, Parent and Student prior to the dates of the finals. Failure to do so may result in receiving a score of zero on the final(s). All makeup finals must be taken after the original finals dates and must be completed within one week from the beginning of the spring semester or summer break.
7) CORRECTING CREDIT PENDINGS “CP’s”
A student may receive an CP on his or her report card for excessive unexcused or excused absences. To correct the CP’s the student and parent/guardian may sign an attendance contract, agreeing to improve attendance in the future. If the contract terms are met by the student the grades will be changed back to the grade earned. Students may also complete detentions or community service to cover the time out of class in the final semester of their senior year. If a student leaves the district with an CP on his/her transcript the CP may be corrected by having the student’s new school report to SHS that he/she has improved attendance, is progressing well, and should have the CP changed.
Grades in a course will not be reduced per se by absences from the class. However, repeated absences makes it difficult for a student to receive direct instruction or actively participate in work that is essential to learning and not easily accomplished alone or away from the classroom setting. Absenteeism is counterproductive to learning and gaining essential work skills. This is especially true with our Modified Five schedule that includes only four days each week in regular classes. Please be aware that credit may be lost in situations where a student exceeds the state statute maximum of 10% absenteeism per class each semester. The absent student is expected to make up his/her schoolwork as per Item #5 above (Make-up Work). Please note that chronic tardiness may also adversely affect classroom credit.