The Board of Education as an agency of the State is required to enforce regular attendance of students. The Board recognizes that regular attendance and promptness are marks of a good student and a good citizen. In school, as in other facets of life, regular attendance and punctuality are necessary for success.

Attendance shall be required of all students participating in District programs, except those exempted under policy 5223 or by other provisions of State law, during the days and hours that the programs are in session or during the attendance sessions to which s/he has been assigned.

The Superintendent shall require, from the parent of each student or from an adult student who has been absent for any reason, a written statement of the cause for such absence. The Board reserves the right to verify such statements and to investigate the cause of each prolonged absence.

Repeated infractions of Board policy requiring the attendance of enrolled students may result in the suspension or expulsion of the student from the District program.

The Board considers the following factors to be reasonable excuses for time missed at a District program:

The Board authorizes but does not encourage the Superintendent to suspend a student from a particular class or from school, if sincere efforts by the staff and parents cannot rectify the pattern of absence. In keeping with its philosophy, the Board supports efforts to provide for out-of-school alternative educational opportunities for truant students rather than to heighten the effects of absence through suspension.

The Superintendent shall develop administrative guidelines for the attendance of students which ensure a school session which is in conformity with requirements of the law.

In collaboration with constituent local districts, the Attendance Officer shall:

If such modifications do not rectify the attendance problem, the Attendance Officer shall pursue available legal remedies.

M.C.L.A. 380.1561, 380.1561 (3a-3c)