5001 Compulsory Attendance and Excessive Absenteeism
5001
Compulsory Attendance and Excessive Absenteeism
Required Attendance
Every person residing in the school district who has legal or actual charge or control of any child who is of mandatory attendance age shall cause that child to attend a public or private school regularly unless the child has graduated from high school or has been allowed to disenroll pursuant to this policy.
Mandatory Attendance Age
All children who are or will turn six years old before January 1 of the current school year are of mandatory attendance age. Children who have not turned eighteen years of age are of mandatory attendance age.
Exceptions
This policy does not apply when attendance is made impossible or impracticable by severe weather conditions or by the temporary illness of the student or a child whom the student is parenting.
A child who will not reach age 7 before January 1 of the current school year may be excused from mandatory attendance if the child’s parent or guardian completes an affidavit affirming that alternative educational arrangements have been made for the child. A copy of the required affidavit is attached to this policy.
Discontinuing Enrollment – 5 Year Old Students
The person seeking to discontinue the enrollment of a student who will not reach six years of age prior to January 1 of the current school year shall submit a signed, written request and to the superintendent using the form which is attached to this policy. The school district may request written verification or documentation that the person signing the form has legal or actual charge or control of the student. The school district shall discontinue the enrollment of any student who satisfies these requirements. Any student whose enrollment is discontinued under this subsection shall not be eligible to reenroll in this school district until the beginning of the following school year unless otherwise required by law.
Discontinuing Enrollment – 16 and 17 Year Old Students
Only children who are at least 16 years of age may be disenrolled from the district. The person seeking to discontinue the child’s enrollment shall submit a signed, written request and submit it to the superintendent using the form which is attached to this policy. The district will follow the procedures outlined on the attached form in considering requests to disenroll.
Only children disenrolling to attend a non-accredited school may be exempt from this policy. The person with legal or actual charge or control of the child must provide the superintendent with a copy of the signed request submitted to the State Department of Education for attending non-accredited schools. The superintendent may confirm the validity of the submission with the State Department of Education.
Attendance Officer
Each building principal is designated as an attendance officer for the district. Each building principal, at his or her discretion, may delegate these responsibilities to any other qualified individual. The attendance officer is responsible for enforcing the provisions of state law relating to compulsory attendance. This responsibility includes but is not limited to filing a report with the county attorney of the county in which a student resides. Compensation for the duties of attendance officer is included in the salary for the superintendent or designee.
Excused Absences
The following absences will be considered excused if they are confirmed by communication to the school from the student's parent/guardian:
Physical or mental illness of the student with an excused verification from the doctor.
Severe weather
Medical appointments for the student with an excused verification from the doctor.
Death or serious illness of the student’s family member
Attending a funeral
Appearance at court or for other legal matters
Observance of religious holidays of the student's own faith
College planning visits
Excessive Absenteeism
When a student receives 5 unexcused absences or the hourly equivalent in any semester, the Attendance Officer will follow the attached procedure for addressing barriers to the student’s attendance.
When a student is absent more than twenty days per year or the hourly equivalent and any portion of the absences is unexcused, the Attendance Officer may file a report with the county attorney of the county in which the student resides. For example, if the student accumulates 23 days of excused absences due to documented illness and is tardy one time, the Attendance Officer may file a report with the appropriate county attorney. Adopted on: 6/6/12
Revised on: 8/19/13
Revised on: 10/20/14
Revised on: 7/17/17
Reviewed on: 6/17/19
Revised on: 8/16/21
Reviewed on: 6/20/22