ATTENDANCE

The District believes attendance is a key factor in student achievement and believes that students must be in regular school attendance in order to successfully achieve the goal of high school graduation. 

The District will enforce regular student attendance in all programs in which each student is enrolled as required pursuant to State law. Further, the District recognizes that the educational program is predicated upon the participation of each student in the program of instruction in which the student is enrolled and required to attend. Student success requires continuity of instruction and program participation. For purposes of this policy, the regular period and hours of instruction including both those periods and hours a student's program require that they are in school as well as any attendance requirements defined as part of a course of virtual instruction, or a combination of the more than one type of instructional delivery.

All children between six (6) and eighteen (18) years of age shall attend school regularly during the full period and hours, religious holidays excepted, that the school in which the child is enrolled is in session until the end of the term, quarter, or semester of the school year in which the child becomes eighteen (18) years of age unless they fall under an exception under State law, this administrative guideline issued under this policy. A child who is enrolled in five (5) year-old kindergarten shall attend school regularly, religious holidays excepted, during the full period and hours that kindergarten is in session until the end of the school term.

Parent/Guardian Notification of Absence Required
 

The District Administrator shall require, from the parent/guardian of each student or from an adult student, who has been absent for any reason either a written or oral notification stating the reason for the absence and the time period covered by the absence. The District reserves the right to verify such statements:
 

1. single absence;
    

2. absence of more than two (2) days duration;
    

3. repeated unexplained absence and tardiness; or
    

School Attendance Officer
 

The District Administrator shall designate an administrator at each school to be the School Attendance Officer. The School Attendance Officer shall perform any duties and responsibilities they are required to perform by State law, this policy, and any administrative guidelines issued by the school. The duties of the School Attendance Officer shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
 

1. Determining daily from attendance reports submitted by teachers which students enrolled in the school are absent from school, or failed to fulfill the attendance requirements of a virtual instruction program component, and whether the absence is excused.
    

2. Submitting to the District Administrator, on or before August 1st of each year, a report of the number of students enrolled in the school who were absent in the previous year and whether the absences were excused. The District Administrator shall then submit this information to the State Superintendent. To the extent feasible, absentee data shall be separated by absences for in-person instruction periods and absences based on virtual instruction attendance requirements.
    

3. Providing student attendance information to individuals and agencies for purposes authorized by State law and the District's Policy 8330 - Student Records.
    

Excused Absences
 

As required under State law, a student shall be excused from school for the following reasons:
 

1. Physical or Mental Condition
   
   The student is temporarily not in proper physical or mental condition to attend a school program. After repeated absences due to a physical or mental condition, parent/guardian may be asked to obtain a written statement from a physician or licensed health care practitioner as proof of the physical or mental condition of the student. Such excuse shall be made in writing, shall state the period of time for which it is valid and shall not exceed thirty (30) days.
    

2. Obtaining Religious Instruction
   
   To enable the student to obtain religious instruction outside the school during the required school period (see Policy 5223 - Absences for Religious Instruction).
            

3. Permission of Parent/Guardian
   
   The student has been excused by their parent/guardian before the absence for any or no reason.  A student may not be excused for more than ten (10) days per school year under this paragraph and must complete any coursework missed during the absence.  Examples of reasons for being absent that should be counted under this paragraph include, but are not limited to, the following:
    

   1. professional and other necessary appointments (e.g., medical, dental, and legal) that cannot be scheduled outside of the school day. Documented medical appointments will not be counted toward the ten (10) day excused absence total.
       

   2. college visits
       

   3. job fairs
       

   4. vacations
       

   5. hunting

1. Religious Holiday
   
   For observance of a religious holiday consistent with the student's creed or belief.
    

2. Suspension or Expulsion
   
   The student has been suspended or expelled.
    

3. Field Trip, Program or Curriculum Modification
   
   The District has excused the student from regular school attendance to participate in a program or curriculum modification leading to high school graduation or a high school equivalency diploma as provided by State law.
            

4. High School Equivalency – Secured Facilities
   
   The District has excused a student from regular school attendance to participate in a program leading to a high school equivalency diploma in a secured correctional facility, a secured child caring institution, a secure detention facility, or a juvenile portion of a county jail, and the student and their parent/guardian agree that the student will continue to participate in such a program.
    

5. Alternate School Assignment
   
   The student is participating in a program at a technical college on either a part‑time or full-time basis leading to high school graduation, as provided under State law.
    

6. Funerals
    

7. Court/Legal matters
    

8. Visiting a parent or guardian who is on active military duty
    

9. Election Day Official
   
   A high school student, including students enrolled in private schools and students enrolled in home-based private education, age sixteen (16) or seventeen (17) is permitted to be excused to serve as an election official provided that the following criteria are met: (1) the student has the permission of their parent/guardian to serve as an election official on election day; (2) the student has signed up and the municipal clerk has informed the Principal that the student has been assigned to serve in this capacity; and (3) the student has at least a 3.0 grade point average or equivalent, or has met alternative criteria established by District, if any. The Principal shall promptly notify the municipal clerk or the board of election commissioners of the municipality that appointed the child as an election official if the child no longer has at least a 3.0 grade point average or the equivalent, or no longer meets the established alternative requirements. A student's absence to serve as an election official under this policy shall be treated as an excused absence. Where possible students are encouraged to provide advance notice as much as possible. Students are responsible for completing any missed school work and responsible for making appropriate arrangements to do so.
    

10. Virtual Access
    
    The student is unable to access virtual instruction programming due to a temporary disruption in the student's access to necessary technological systems (i.e. internet outage, computer failure, software malfunction, etc.) as communicated by the student's parent.

A student may be excused from school, as determined by the School Attendance Officer, or their designee, for the following reasons:

1. Quarantine
   
   Quarantine of the student's home by a public health officer.
    

2. Illness of an Immediate Family Member
   
   The illness of an immediate family member.
    

Unexcused Absences
 

Unexcused absences are absences from school for part or all of one (1) or more days from school without an acceptable excuse. Unexcused absences demonstrate a deliberate disregard for the educational program and are considered a serious matter.  The District Administrator shall develop administrative guidelines to address unexcused absences.

Definitions

1. Truancy
   
   A student will be considered truant if the student is absent part or all of one (1) or more days from school during which the School Attendance Officer, principal, or a teacher has not been notified of the legal cause of such absence by the parent of the absent student. A student who is absent intermittently for the purpose of defeating the intent of the Wisconsin Compulsory Attendance Statute 118.15, Wis. Stats., will also be considered truant.
    

2. Habitual Truant
   
   A student will be considered a habitual truant if the student is absent from school without an acceptable excuse for part or all of five (5) or more days on which school is held during a school semester.
    

3. Part of a School Day
   
   Part of a school day is any time period within a school day, which is from the time the first class period of that day begins until the end of the last class period of that day.

Tardiness/Late Arrival and Early Dismissal

It is necessary that a student be in attendance throughout the school day, or as required by the student's virtual instruction program, in order to benefit fully from the educational program of the District. Unless excused per this policy, tardiness, or late arrival, occurs when a student arrives at the student's registered class location after the bell that signals the start of the class period has sounded. Unless excused, early dismissal occurs when a student leaves the student's registered class location before the bell has rung signaling the end of the class period or the end of the school day. Tardiness and early dismissal can occur more than once per day. Tardiness and early dismissal constitute being absent for part of a school day.

The District recognizes, however, that from time-to-time compelling circumstances require that a student be late to school or dismissed before the end of the school day.
 

As an agent responsible for the education of the children of this District, the District shall require that the school be notified in advance of such absences by written (including e-mail) and/or personal (phone or face-to-face) request of the student's parent/guardian, who shall state the reason for the tardiness or early dismissal. Justifiable reasons shall be determined by the student attendance officer.
 

No student who has a medical disability which may be incapacitating may be released without a person to accompany them.
 

No student shall be released to anyone who is not authorized such custody by the parent/guardians.
 

Truancy Plan
 

The District will issue a Truancy Plan based upon the recommendations of the County Truancy Committee convened under State law, the District's policies and procedures, and applicable provisions of State law.  The District will review and, if appropriate, revise the Truancy Plan at least once every two (2) years.
 

The Truancy Plan will include, at a minimum, the following:
 

1. procedures to be followed for notifying the parent/guardians of the unexcused absences of a student who is truant or a habitual truant and for meeting and conferring with such parent/guardians
    

2. plans and procedures for identifying truant children of all ages and returning them to school, including the identity of school personnel to whom a truant child shall be returned
    

3. methods to increase and maintain public awareness of and involvement in responding to truancy within the School District
    

4. a provision addressing the immediate response to be made by school personnel when a truant child is returned to school
    

5. the types of truancy cases to be referred to the District Attorney and the time periods within which the District Attorney will respond to and take action on the referrals
    

6. plans and procedures to coordinate the responses to the problems of habitual truants, as defined under Sec. 118.16(1)(a), Wis. Stats., with public and private social services agencies
    

7. methods to involve the truant child's parent/guardian in dealing with and solving the child's truancy problem

Notice of Truancy
 

The School Attendance Officer shall notify a truant student's parent/guardian of the student's truancy and direct the parent/guardian to return the student to school no later than the next day on which school is in session or to provide an excuse for the absence. The notice under this paragraph shall be given before the end of the second school day after receiving a report of an unexcused absence. The notice may be made by electronic communication, personal contact, telephone call, or 1st class mail, and a written record of this notice shall be kept. This notice must be given every time a student is truant until the student becomes a habitual truant.
 

Notice of Habitual Truancy
 

When a student initially becomes a habitual truant, the School Attendance Officer shall provide a notice to the student's parent/guardian, by registered or certified mail, or by 1st class mail.  The School Attendance Officer may simultaneously notify the parent/guardian of the habitually truant student by an electronic communication. The notice must contain the following:
 

1. a statement of the parent/guardian's responsibility under State law to cause the student to attend school regularly
    

2. a statement that the parent/guardian or student may request program or curriculum modifications for the student under State law and that the student may be eligible for enrollment in a program for children at risk
    

3. a request that the parent/guardian meet with the appropriate school personnel to discuss the student's truancy
   
   The notice shall include the name of the school personnel with whom the parent/guardian should meet, a date, time, and place for the meeting and the name, address, and telephone number of a person to contact to arrange a different date, time, or place.  The date for the meeting shall be within five (5) school days after the date that the notice is sent, except that with the consent of the student's parent/guardian the date for the meeting may be extended for an additional five (5) school days.
    

4. a statement of the penalties, under State law or local ordinances that may be imposed on the parent/guardian if they fail to cause the child to attend school regularly as required by State law.
    

5. if the student is attending the District through the Open Enrollment Program, each notification shall also inform the parent: (1) that the student's open enrollment may be terminated if the student is habitually truant; and (2) the process described in Board Policy 5113, which the parent or student may follow if they believe the student was erroneously marked truant.

The School Attendance Officer will also continue to notify the parent/guardian of a habitual truant's subsequent unexcused absences.
 

Referral to the District Attorney
 

Truancy cases will be referred to the District Attorney as provided in the County Truancy Committee Plan.  The School Attendance Officer will ensure that appropriate school personnel have done the following before any case is referred to the District Attorney:
 

1. met with the student's parent/guardian to discuss the student's truancy or attempted to meet with the student's parent/guardian and received no response or were refused
    

2. provided an opportunity for educational counseling to the student to determine whether a change in the student's curriculum would resolve the student's truancy and have curriculum modifications under State law
    

3. evaluated the student to determine whether learning, behavior, or engagement concerns may be a cause of the student's truancy and, if so, have taken steps to address those concerns, except that the student need not be evaluated if tests administered to the student within the previous year indicate that the student is performing at their grade level
    

Note that paragraph A. is not required if the meeting between school personnel, the student, and the student's parent/guardian, which was requested in the Notice of Habitual Truancy to the parent/guardian, did not occur within ten (10) school days after the Notice was sent.  Paragraphs B. and C. are not required if appropriate school personnel were unable to carry out the activity due to the student's absences from school.
 

Make-up Course Work and Examinations
 

Students who are absent from school, whether the absence was excused or unexcused, shall be permitted to make-up coursework and examinations missed during the absence when they return to school. It is the student's responsibility to contact their teachers to determine what coursework and examinations must be made-up. Teachers shall have the discretion to assign substitute coursework and examinations. Teachers shall also have the discretion to specify where and when examinations and coursework shall be completed, including outside regular school hours. The time for completing the work shall be commensurate with the length of the absence unless extended by the principal based upon extenuating circumstances.

Revised 4/21/22