PHILOSOPHY

Students and parents/guardians who desire to obtain the greatest benefit from public education must recognize that regular attendance is essential. Further, students enrolled in Sheridan School District No. 2 are required to attend classes, unless excused for good reason, in accordance with the Colorado Attendance Law (C.R.S. 22-33-101 and Article IX, Section 2 of the Colorado Constitution).

Good attendance is of paramount importance to academic performance and overall success of students. Absences, whether excused or unexcused, are detrimental to the learning process. Work made up outside of class is not as effective as the actual classroom experience. Class discussions, lab work, simulations, student-to-student interaction and student-teacher interaction cannot be replicated outside the classroom or at a later time. Regular attendance develops habits that are essential for success in the working world.

It is the joint responsibility of students, parents/guardians and schools to ensure regular attendance. Excessive student absences may be symptomatic of problems which necessitate joint efforts of the school, student, home and community agencies. Therefore, in cases of excessive absences, Sheridan School District No. 2 will utilize community agencies, as well as the courts, in order to enforce regular attendance when student or parental/guardian responsibility has been met.

COMPULSORY ATTENDANCE AGES

All schools shall comply with the compulsory attendance age requirements as defined in the Colorado State Attendance Law.

District residents who have attained the age of 6 years and are under the age of 21 years are entitled to attend Sheridan School District No. 2, with the exceptions of students who are suspended or expelled for a given period of time. Students who reach 21 years of age will be withdrawn at the end of the semester in which their 21st birthday occurs.

ATTENDANCE EXPECTATIONS AND PROCEDURES

According to state law, it is the obligation of parents/guardians to ensure that every child under their care and supervision receives adequate education and, of compulsory attendance age, attends school.

Parents/guardians shall be provided written attendance expectations and procedures for district and for the building in which their child is enrolled. This information shall be located in newsletters, student handbooks, the school website and/or other means of written communication at the beginning of the school year or as students enroll during the school year.

NOTIFYING THE SCHOOL

Parents/guardians are to notify the school attendance office before or within 24 hours of the absence. After-hours school phone recorders are available to take this information.

DISTRICT ATTENDANCE OFFICER

The District’s attendance officer shall provide training and ongoing support for building personnel on attendance and truancy processes and issues. The attendance officer may facilitate attendance review board meetings to address attendance and truancy concerns, access community resources as appropriate, and assist the students and parent/guardian in developing strategies to improve the student’s school attendance.

BUILDING PROCEDURES

All school sites shall follow district policy, regulations, procedures and the truancy reduction program protocols
	
to accurately document student attendance.

All teachers are expected to record accurate daily attendance for their students. Teachers shall enter unverified absences and tardies into Infinite Campus. The school attendance clerk will also utilize Infinite Campus to indicate those absences and tardies for which parents/guardians have verified that the student will not be in school. When a parent/guardian has not made the required contact with the school, the school shall notify the parent/guardian by a recorded phone message, email, text message and/or a personal phone call of the student’s absences. If the school is unable to reach the parent by phone a letter shall be sent.

Teachers and attendance personnel will monitor the student’s unexcused and excused absences and/or
		
tardies. When a pattern of unexcused absences and/or unexcused tardies occurs, the student will be identified
	
as habitually truant, based on district protocol and state law. Colorado State Law 22-33-107 defines habitually
		
truant as a student of compulsory attendance age who has “4 unexcused absences in any one month or 10
		
unexcused absences during any school year.” The teacher or school attendance officer shall contact the
		
parents/guardians to discuss issues related to attendance. Excessive excused absences or tardies will also
		
result in parent/guardian contact.

If a student’s school attendance does not improve, school personnel will make every effort to schedule a
		
conference with the student and the parent/guardian to develop an attendance improvement plan. An
		
attendance improvement plan shall be developed for a student who has been declared or who is at risk of
		
being declared habitually truant, the goal of which is to assist the student to remain in school, maintain regular
	
attendance, and obtain a quality education. This plan will also develop improvement goals, with the
		
expectation that all parties will work together to assist the student in meeting attendance
		
requirements.

BUILDING PROCEDURES CONTINUED

If the student’s school attendance continues to be a concern, the school may refer the student to an
	
attendance review board or file a truancy petition in court. One outcome of the attendance review
		
board is to complete an attendance contract which defines the expectations and responsibilities for
		
the student, parent/guardian and school. If the parent/guardian and/or student fails to attend the
		
attendance review board meeting or attendance does not improve after the meeting, proceedings
		
may begin for filing the truancy case in Arapahoe County Truancy Court.

EXCUSED ABSENCES

To excuse a student, a parent shall notify the school in a timely manner (before or within 24hrs of absence) via phone, written notification or through other verifiable documentation as required by the school administration.

The district may require suitable proof regarding excused absences, including written statements from medical sources. When student has excessive excused absences due to reported illness, the building administrator may require a written medical excuse from the family physician. If a family indicates they have no physician or medical source available for this purpose, the school nurse is authorized to make a determination if a student is, indeed ill. The school nurse may also refer families to appropriate medical resources when needed to substantiate the illness. (Once student has missed 2 days due to illness, note from physician is required for excusal for any additional days).

The following absences shall be considered excused:

A. Illness/injury
		
	a. Absences by a student who is temporarily ill or injured are excused if such
		
	illness/injury is documented by the student’s parent/guardian
		
	i. The parent/guardian/student must provide physician excusal once they have
	
	been out of school for 3 or more days.

B. Appointments/serious circumstances
		
	a. Absences shall be excused on a case-by-case basis if a student has an appointment
	
	or a circumstance or a serious nature, which cannot be resolved before or after
		
	school hours. To the extent possible, the parent/guardian is encouraged to notify
		
	the school in advance regarding appointments/serious circumstances.

C. Extracurricular experiences which have been approved by the school
		
	a. A student’s request to participate in extracurricular experiences outside of the
	
	school building may be approved for up to five days under certain
		
	circumstances and on a case-by-case basis. Any absences beyond five days
	
	shall be treated as unexcused. Approval shall be left to the discretion of the school’s principal. The principal may use any of the following criteria or any

b. Combination of the following criteria in determining whether a student is permitted to
	
	engage in said extracurricular experiences.
		
	i. The student meets CHSAA general eligibility standards
		
	i
	i. The student is in good academic standing (passing all classes with a
		
		minimum grade of C)
		
	iii. The student has no unexcused absences
		
	iv. The student has less than 5 excused absences in a semester or less than 9
		
		excused absences for the school year
		
	v
	. The student is attending any school-sponsored activity or activities of an
		
		educational nature with advance approval by the administration

D. Family business/family vacation days which have been approved by the school.
		
	a. A student’s parent/guardian may request approval for an excused absence to attend
	
	to family business/family vacation (e.g. wedding, family trip). Approval shall be left
		
	to the discretion of the school’s principal. This excused absence is not to exceed
		
	three days per year if the following conditions are met.
		
	i. The student is in good academic standing (passing all classes with a
		
		minimum grade of C)
		
	i ii
	i. Student has no unexcused absences; or
		
		i. Student has less than four excused absences in a semester or less than
		
	seven excused absences for the school year.

E. Funerals
		
	a. A student’s parent/guardian may request approval for an absence to be excused to
	
	attend a funeral. This excused absence shall not exceed three days. Additional
		
	time may be requested on a case-by-case basis. Approval shall be left to the
		
	discretion of the principal.

**Absences due to suspension are considered to be excused for the purpose of truancy.

UNEXCUSED ABSENCES

An unexcused absence is defined as an absence that is not covered in the excused absence section. “Prank” days and similar activities are not sanctioned, supported or supported by the district or individual schools and shall be considered unexcused absences. Each unexcused absence shall be entered on the student’s record. The parent/guardian of the student receiving an unexcused absence shall be notified orally or in writing by the district of each unexcused absence. Minutes of unexcused tardies shall be combined with unexcused absences to determine the total amount of unexcused absences.

In accordance with district policy, the administration may impose penalties which relate directly to classes missed while unexcused. The administration shall also develop intervention strategies for students who have unexcused absences. The school administration shall develop/implement intervention strategies to assist the student in changing his/her truancy behaviors. The school shall request a sanction letter be sent to the family by the truancy attorney according to district protocol when the student is at risk of becoming habitually truant or has been determined to be habitually truant.

A court petition may be filed when the student has been deemed to be habitually truant and when interventions have been unsuccessful at changing the student’s behavior. A judicial official will take action as he/she deems appropriate. All petitions shall be accompanied by a sworn affidavit by a school person knowledgeable of the child’s record. This affidavit shall inform the court in separate categories of the number of unexcused absences, unexcused tardies, excused absences and excused tardies. All subsequent affidavits shall be broken down in the same manner.

At any truancy hearing the school involved shall have a person present who is knowledgeable about the child in regard to the current unexcused/excused absences, unexcused/excused tardies, grades and behaviors in all classes taken during the school year and copy of the child’s attendance plan.