431

PORT EDWARDS PUBLIC SCHOOLS

 

Board of Education Policy

 

 

STUDENT ATTENDANCE

 

This policy shall be administered in accordance with state school attendance laws.  All children between the ages of 6 and 18 are required to attend school every day that school is in session. Students enrolled in a five-year-old kindergarten in the district shall also attend school regularly during the full period and hours that kindergarten is in session during the school year, except as noted above.

 

Absences

·         When a student is absent for any part of a school day, the parent/guardian must call the school and provide a valid reason for the student’s absence.  The building principal has the final authority as to whether an absence is excused.

·         A letter or note from the person conducting the appointment will be required to excuse all appointments.  A note from a physician may be required to excuse an unusual illness, frequent illness, or extended absence due to illness.  The building principal will determine when a note is required.

·         Valid reasons for absence are limited to situations where the absence is unavoidable, such as an illness, medical or legal appointment, religious observance, or funeral.  Personal reasons, such as car trouble, oversleeping, traffic problems, etc., are generally not acceptable excuses.

·         In accordance with state law, a student may only be excused by a parent/guardian for a total of ten (10) days in any school year.  All absences after ten (10) days, or parts of days, in any school year will be considered truant unless the building principal receives satisfactory documentation from the parent/guardian to justify the additional absences.

·         A parent/guardian may call in an absence at any time by phoning the school office.  An automated attendance line is available 24 hours a day.  An absence will become truancy unless a valid reason is provided to the office within 48 hours of the absence.

·         Attendance reports will be included with quarterly grade reports.

 

Pre-Arranged Absences/Family Vacations 

  • The Board of Education recommends that extended family vacations and other pre-arranged absences be planned so as not to interfere with the child’s in-school education if at all possible.  Many in-school educational experiences cannot be made up.  Therefore, if the child must miss school, established guidelines must be observed so that absence from classes will have as little effect as possible.
  • The most important guideline is to start planning with the teachers as early as possible.  A good rule of thumb is to notify the school ahead of time, two school days for each school day missed.
  • If the student has not properly completed the work assigned prior to the vacation, the absence for that class will be unexcused.  This emphasizes the importance of notifying and working with the teachers well ahead of the planned vacation.
  • Please refer to the Student Handbook for the appropriate grade level under “Pre-Arranged Absence.”

 

Pre-arranged Absence Request Forms

  • Students must obtain a pre-arranged absence request form from the school office.
  • Pre-arranged absence request forms must be processed in accordance with the guidelines as provided in the applicable District student handbook.
  • Completed forms must be returned to the school office before 12:15 p.m. of the last school day preceding the absence.

 

Tardiness

  • Students are expected to be on time for every class.  Students will be assessed a tardy each time they are not present after the bell rings signaling the start of class.
  • Detention for accumulated tardies will be administered in accordance with the guidelines set forth in the applicable student handbook.

 

Truancy

  • Truancy is defined as missing fifteen (15) or more minutes of a class without school-approved reasons.  Any unresolved absence that is not cleared up within 48 hours will be recorded as truancy.  When a student is truant for five (5) days or parts of days in a semester, the student will be referred to local law enforcement and social services as a habitual truant and may receive a fine.
  • The High School Principal shall serve as the District Truancy Officer.
  • Students will be subject to disciplinary action for each truancy, and will be required to make up time missed on an hour-for-hour basis.

 

Make-up Assignments/Examinations

  • All students having an excused absence from school will be allowed to make up work.  Two days will be allowed for each day of non-vacation, excused absence for completion of this work.  This make-up privilege applies to work assigned or missed due to the absence and not to previously assigned work, tests, reports, etc.
  • Examinations missed during an excused absence shall be taken at a time mutually agreed upon by the students and the teacher.  Two days will be allowed for each day of non-vacation, excused absence for completion of the examination.  The teacher has discretion to extend make-up opportunities if warranted by extenuating circumstances.

 

Required Attendance to Participate in Extra-Curricular Activities

  • An extra-curricular activity is defined as any school-sponsored activity outside the regular school day.  If a student misses five (5) days, or parts of days, for a non-school approved reason in any semester, he/she will not be eligible to participate in all extra-curricular activities.  This would include activities such as athletic events (attending or participating), dances, and graduation ceremony.
  • Students participating in extra-curricular athletic activities will adhere to the attendance requirements as specified in the applicable District Athletic Code.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LEGAL REF.:       Sections 118.15   Wisconsin Statues

                                                 118.16

 

CROSS REF.:      JEMS Athletic Code

                                JEHS Athletic Code

Port Edwards Elementary School Student Handbook

JEMS Handbook, Grades 5-8

JEHS Handbook, Grades 9-12

 

Adopted:           11/08/04

Reviewed:

Revised:           08/16/10

 

431 – Rule (1)

STUDENT WITHDRAWALS

1.     Any child who is 16 years of age may be excused from regular school attendance by the school board upon the child's request and with the written approval of the child's parent or guardian if the child and his/her parent or guardian agree, in writing, that the child will participate in a program or curriculum modification leading to the child's high school graduation.

           

        Program or curriculum modifications for purposes of this requirement include the following:

        a.     Attendance at a technical college in lieu of high school or on a part-time basis (applies to a child at risk only).  Such student and his/her parent or guardian must agree, in writing, that the student will participate in a program leading to the student’s high school graduation.

 

        b.     Modifications within the child's current academic program

        c.     A school work training or work study program

        d.     Enrollment in any alternative public school or program located in the school district in which the child resides

 

        e.     Enrollment in any nonsectarian private school or program located in the school district in which the child resides which complies with the requirements of 42 USC 2000d (Title VI of the Civil Rights Act - nondiscrimination on the basis of race, color or national origin). Enrollment in such school or program shall be pursuant to a contractual agreement which provides for the payment of the child's tuition by the school district

 

        f.      Home-bound study, including nonsectarian correspondence courses or other courses of study approved by the        school board or nonsectarian tutoring provided by the school in which the child is enrolled

 

        g.     Enrollment in any public educational program outside the school district in which the child resides.  Enrollment of a child in such program may be pursuant to a contractual agreement between school districts.

 

2.     Any child who is 17 Years of age or over may be excused from regular school attendance by the school board upon the child's request and with the written approval of the child's parent or guardian if the child and his/her parent or guardian agree, in writing, that the child will participate in a program or curriculum modification leading to the child's high school graduation or leading to a high school equivalency diploma.  (Program or curriculum modifications include those outlined above.)

 

3.     A written agreement is required between the child, his/her parent or guardian, the school board and a representative of the high school equivalency program or program leading to the child's high school graduation prior to a child's admission to such program(s).  The agreement must state the services to be provided, the time period needed to complete the high school equivalency program or program leading to high school graduation and how the performance of the student will be monitored.

 

4.     The school board is responsible for monitoring the written agreement on a regular basis.  In no case, however, can the agreement be monitored less frequently than once per semester.  If the school board determines that a child is not complying with the agreement, the school board is expected to notify the child, his/her parent or guardian and the high school equivalency program or program leading to high school graduation that the agreement may be modified or suspended in 30 days.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

431 – Rule (2)

 

TRUANCY REFERRAL PROCEDURES

 

Administration will work with the child and his parent(s)/guardian(s) and school personnel to attempt to keep the student in school, even if ultimately the matter is not referred to legal authorities.

 

As the District Truant Officer, the high school principal will process all truancy cases as defined by law in accordance with state statutes.

 

PROCEDURES FOR HABITUAL TRUANTS WHO RETURN TO SCHOOL

 

For students who meet the legal definition of habitual truant and who return to school, the following steps may be taken to facilitate the student’s return and continued attendance:

 

·         Meet with, or attempt to meet with, the child’s parent or guardian to discuss the child’s truancy.

·         Provide an opportunity for educational counseling to the child to determine whether a change in the child’s curriculum would resolve the child’s truancy and consider curriculum modifications.

·         Evaluate the child to determine whether a learning disability may be a cause of the child’s truancy, and if so, take steps to accommodate the learning disability.

·         Conduct an evaluation to determine whether social problems may be a cause of the child’s truancy, and if so, take appropriate action or make appropriate referrals.