ATTENDANCE
FOUND IN THE STRASBURG C-3
STUDENT HANDBOOK
Absences
The Board of Education believes that regular attendance is essential to achieving success in school. Education is a total process based upon continual communication and shared responsibilities among parents, students, teachers, and school. As students mature and progress through the educational system, they should increasingly assume responsibility for regular attendance. However, parents have a legal and moral responsibility to require regular attendance at school.
The Board of Education has established the following rules and regulations regarding attendance, absences, and excuses for students. These rules and regulations are intended to comply with Missouri Compulsory Attendance Law (167.031 RSMo.) which establishes compulsory attendance for all children between the ages of seven and sixteen unless their education is provided by other acceptable means or otherwise excusable under the law.
Excusable Absences
In case of absence, it is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to notify the school before 9:00 am by phone call or email. If the school is not notified on the day of absence, a note from the parent/guardian will be required on the first day of the student's return to school. The absence will be recorded as unexcused if a note or telephone call is not received.
Excusable absences include but are not limited to
1. Illness of the student (Doctor's statement may be required to support such absences).
2. Medical appointments (Doctor's statement will be required to support such absences).
3. Days of religious observance.
4. Serious illness or death of a family member.
5. Family emergencies that necessitate absence from school. The school must be notified in advance when such absences are foreseen. (Each District shall define the degree of emergency required to excuse absence).
6. Suspensions
7. Visits from a parent or guardian on active military duty who is on leave from or will be immediately deployed or immediately returned with notification and approval of the principal.
8. An absence that has been requested and approved in advance by the principal due to exceptional circumstances. In these situations, make-up work should be requested in advance of the absence and any test, projects, or in-class assignments will be made up at the direction of the teacher.
Unexcused Absences
Absences for reasons other than the categories of excusable reasons, or that do not have the proper documentation for an excused absence as determined by the principal, will be considered unexcused.
Students who have an unexcused absence are encouraged to make up the work to aid in learning. Excessive, unexcused absences will result in a written notice from the principal to the parents/guardians. The principal may request a parent/guardian conference to discuss attendance concerns and a collaborative plan may be developed to remove barriers to attendance. When attendance remains problematic the school may contact the appropriate agencies and/or authorities for assistance.
Excessive Absences
A student shall be allowed twenty (20) unexcused days per school year (144 hours). Excessive absences, excused or unexcused, have a detrimental effect on academic progress and may be one factor considered in promotion/retention decisions. Students who attend school regularly and punctually generally have better academic success and enjoy school. Attendance letters will be sent home via email after the following accumulated absences:
1st) 21 hours
2nd) 42 hours
3rd) 70 hours
● Students will have a maximum of 72 hours of absences per semester.
● Appropriate authorities may be notified if absences are deemed unworthy. If more than 72 hours’ worth of absences is accumulated in a semester, the student will be referred to the Cass County Juvenile Attendance Court. The attendance concerns will also be reported to the Missouri Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline. To obtain more information about the EducationCourt, you may contact the school officer the Cass County Juvenile Office atcass.juvofficer.email@courts.mo.gov
● After 72 hours, a retention hearing may be held to determine the nature of the absences and their effect on the student's ability to keep up with his/her classes.
● Absences due to school-related student activities do not count toward the 72-hour limit.
The following procedures should be followed by students who are absent to prevent academic
difficulties:
1. The student shall obtain assignments from appropriate staff members. Assignments shall be obtained
in advance if the absence is foreseen.
2. All assigned work shall be submitted upon returning to school.
3. All classroom work (including tests) shall be completed as indicated by the individual classroom teacher.
AMI-Day Expectations
The district has 5 AMI days that can be used instead of snow days, AMI days do not have to be made up on a regular school day. This year, we will use AMI days before using snow days for weather cancellations. During an AMI weather day, students will be learning virtually or completing worksheet packets from home. On AMI days, attendance will be determined by the completion of lessons and activities in the following manner:
● Completion of written lessons and activities turned in on the next in-person attendance day.
● Electronic submission of completed lessons and activities on the day of AMI or on the next day of in-person attendance.
*For students who do not complete the lessons in the timeframe and manner listed above, students will be marked as absent (unexcused).