Attendance Information

Attendance Line: 719-495-5560

Truancy

What is Truancy? Truancy is an unexcused absence from school. This includes skipping classes or entire days of school.

Truancy puts the students at risk for many problems, including:

• Poor grades
• Involvement with gangs
• Teen pregnancy
• Alcohol abuse
• Criminal behavior

Truancy also increases the risk that students will drop out and high school dropouts are more likely to:

• Be unemployed
• Earn less money than high school and college graduates
• Be dependent on public assistance
• Serve time in prison

What can you do to avoid truancy?

• Play a big role in your child’s success
• Create a love of learning
• Be involved in your child’s school
• Be supportive

District 49 Attendance Policy

Falcon School District 49 has implemented the following attendance policies:

Secondary students will be allowed 6 excused absences per single class period each semester.

Once students have exceeded the number of excused absences, an excuse issued by the practitioner or agency may be required for subsequent absences or the absence may be considered unexcused. After an accumulation of 4 and 6 absences for secondary students parents will receive a letter notifying them of the district’s attendance concerns: and an administrative review of the student’s attendance record and IEP, if applicable, will occur.

After an accumulation of 4 unexcused absences, secondary students will be placed on an attendance contract that will include parent input when possible. Students earning more than 4 unexcused absences per month or 10 unexcused absences during any school year may be referred for truancy. Middle school students may be considered for retention.

Students with unexcused absences are expected to make up work missed but will receive 50% of the earned grade.

Absences

The following shall be considered excused absences:

• Absences because of temporary illness or injury.
• A student who is absent for an extended period due to physical, mental, or emotional disability.
• A student who is pursuing a work-study program under the supervision of the school.
• A student who is attending any school-sponsored activity or activities of an educational nature with advance approval by the administration.
• Absences by those who are in the custody of court or law enforcement authorities.
• Those determined by school administration to be excusable, such as doctor’s appointments or juvenile court appearances.

Tardiness

Tardiness is defined as the appearance of a student without proper excuse after the scheduled time that a class begins. Because of the disruptive nature of tardiness and the detrimental effect upon the rights of the non-tardy student to uninterrupted learning, penalties shall be imposed for excessive tardiness. Parents/Guardians shall be notified of all penalties regarding tardiness.

General procedures for penalties for tardiness at the secondary level are as follows:

• On the third and fourth tardy to a class, the teacher will contact the parent/guardian.
• On the fifth tardy, or an accumulation of five tardies for any/all classes, a referral will be written, the student will have an administrative conference and be assigned one day of in-school suspension, and the parent will be notified. At that time, the student will be notified of the consequence for further incidences of tardiness.
• Upon accumulation of another five tardies, the student will again have an administrative conference and will be assigned two days of in-school suspension. At that time parents will be called and an administrative conference will be held to place the student on an attendance plan of remediation.
• The plan of remediation will include the consequences for further occurrences of tardiness. After this conference, the behavior will be considered "insubordination," and consequences will be assigned accordingly.