Attendance Policy
Students are expected to attend school on time each of the school year’s 180 days. Students may not miss more than five (5) days in a ninety (90) day course or ten (10) days in an one-hundred-eighty (180) day course. Students must also be in attendance 120 hours in a class to receive credit. The Principal has the final decision in all matters concerning attendance. Days missed because of an approved school function are counted as school related absences.
Lawful Absences
Understanding that circumstances sometime prevent attendance, the Dorchester School District Two Board considers the following absentee situations as lawful absences:
· Absences caused by illness.
· Absences because of a medical/dental appointment
(Every effort should be made to schedule doctor or dentist appointments before or after school or to stagger appointments for high school students so that the same period is not always missed. A medical statement from a physician will be required upon return to school. Students who exceed 10 days because of routine dental, doctor, or clinic visits will have days in excess of ten charged as unlawful absences).
· Absences because of serious illness or death in a student’s immediate family.
· Absences because of a recognized religious holiday.
· Absences because of special circumstances that are approved by the school’s Principal, Superintendent, and Board of Trustees.
· Absences because of a school-sponsored event provided the student has acquired fewer than ten absences.
Excuses
Within three days after returning to school, students must submit a written excuse to the attendance office explaining absence, signed by parent(s) or guardian, and accompanied, if applicable, by a doctor’s statement. If students do not do so, the absence will be considered unlawful. The excuse should contain the following information:
· Date excuse was written.
· Reason for the absence.
· Date of the absence.
· Telephone number where parent or guardian can be reached.
· Signature of parent, guardian, and/or doctor.
Note: Attendance is taken on class-by-class basis; therefore, sign-in or sign-out may cause a variance in number of days absent in individual classes.
Make-up Work
If a student is suspended, signs in or out of school and misses a pre-scheduled test, he is required to make up the test on the day he returns or at the teacher’s convenience. When students return to school after an excused absence, they must make-up required work (including tests and homework) within a three (3) day period. The teacher may decide the day and time. This is true except in cases of extenuating circumstances.
A student who knows in advance that he will be absent must check with his teachers to determine what assignments must be completed. This applies to all school-sponsored activities and any other pre-arranged absences.
