5200 - ATTENDANCE

School District of Colfax

Bylaws & Policies

5200 - ATTENDANCE

State law requires the Board of Education to enforce the regular attendance of students. Further, the Board recognizes that the District's educational program is predicated upon the presence of the student and requires continuity of instruction and classroom participation. The regular contact of students with one another in the classroom and their participation in a well-planned instructional activity under the tutelage of a competent teacher are vital to this purpose.

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 policy, or 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.

Written Excuse Required

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

	A.	single absence;

	B.	prolonged absence;

	C.	repeated unexplained absence and tardiness.

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 s/he is 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.

	A.	Determining daily from attendance reports submitted by teachers which students enrolled in the school are absent from school and whether the absence is excused.

	B.	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.

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

Excused Absences

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

	A.	Physical or Mental Condition

		The student is temporarily not in proper physical or mental condition to attend a school program.

	B.	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).


C.	Permission of Parent or Guardian

	The student has been excused by his/her parent or 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 course work 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

	2.	to attend the funeral of a relative

	3.	legal proceedings that require the student's presence

	4.	college visits

	5.	job fairs

	6.	vacations

D.	Religious Holiday

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

E.	Suspension or Expulsion

	The student has been suspended or expelled.

F.	Program or Curriculum Modification

	The Board 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.


	G.	High School Equivalency – Secured Facilities

		The Board 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 his/her parent or guardian agree that the student will continue to participate in such a program.

	H.	Child at Risk

		The student is a "child at risk" as defined under State law and 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.

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

	A.	Quarantine

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

	B.	Illness of an Immediate Family Member

		The illness of an immediate family member.

	C.	Emergency

		An emergency that requires the student to be absent because of familial responsibilities or other appropriate reasons.

Unexcused Absences

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.

Truancy Plan

The Board will issue a Truancy Plan based upon the recommendations of the County Truancy Committee convened under State law.

A student will be considered truant if s/he 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 or guardian of the absent student. A student who is absent intermittently for the purpose of defeating the intent of the Wisconsin Compulsory Attendance Statute Sec. 118.15, Wis. Stats., will also be considered truant.

A student will be considered a habitual truant if s/he 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.

Notice of Truancy

The School Attendance Officer shall notify a truant student's parent or guardian of the student's truancy and direct the parent or 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. Notice shall be made by personal contact or telephone call, if possible, and a written record of this notice shall be kept. If such notice is not effective, notice shall be made by mail. 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 or guardian, by registered or certified mail, which contains the following:

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

	B.	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

	C.	a request that the parent or 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 or 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 or guardian the date for the meeting may be extended for an additional five (5) school days.

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

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

Students who are absent from school, whether the absence was excused or unexcused, shall be permitted to make-up course work and examinations missed during the absence when they return to school. It is the student's responsibility to contact his/her teachers to determine what course work and examinations must be made-up. Teachers shall have the discretion to assign substitute course work and examinations. Teachers shall also have the discretion to specify where and when examinations and course work 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.

115, 118.15, 118.125(2), 118.153, 118.16, 118.162, Wis. Stats.