New Attendance Policy

Current Attendance Policy

Before the new policy takes effect for the 2011-2012 school year, students, parents, and educators must adhere to the existing policy.

In a normal 177-day school calendar, elementary, middle and high school students must be in attendance a minimum of 167 days. That means students can only accrue 10 unexcused absences per school year.

In order to be eligible to receive grades, high school students shall be in attendance a minimum of 30,060 minutes (equivalent to 83.5 six hour school days), per semester or 60,120 minutes (equivalent to 167 six hour school days) a school year for schools not operating on a semester basis. To receive Carnegie credit for a course, students must be present 94 percent of the required time listed in section 907.

Elementary students shall be in attendance a minimum of 167 days (60,120 minutes) a school year.

However, some special circumstances don't apply to this policy, such as excused absences for a death in the family or extended illness. Excused absences are absences of two or fewer consecutive school days incurred due to personal illness or serious illness in the family.

Students who are absent for three or more consecutive days must have an extenuating circumstance that is verified by the local school district's child welfare and attendance supervisor.

Extenuating circumstances include:

• Extended personal physical or emotional illness in which a student is absent for three or more consecutive school days as verified by a physician or nurse practitioner licensed in the state.
• Extended hospital stay in which a student is absent for three or more consecutive school days as verified by a physician or dentist.
• Extended recuperation from an accident in which a student is absent for three or more consecutive school days as verified by a physician, dentist, or nurse practitioner licensed in the state.
• Extended contagious disease within a family in which a student is absent for three or more consecutive school days as verified by a physician or dentist licensed in the state.
• Observance of special and recognized holidays of the student's own faith.