Attendance

Attendance Works collaborates with schools, districts, states, communities and organizations to ensure that everyone recognizes that chronic absence is a serious issue that can be addressed using a positive, problem-solving approach grounded in an understanding of educational inequities. Find tips for good attendance, student attendance success plans and many more resources!

HealthyChildren.org has many articles and tools to keep your kids healthy from the American Academy of Pediatrics. Learn ways to help your kids have a healthy school year! 

The School Avoidance Alliance offers a Masterclass for parents to learn how to get their kids back into school. Hear from experts in the field and explore the multiple tools available to parents to better support their student. 

The Colorado Department of Education has an entire pages dedicated to Dropout Prevention, student re-engagement at home, Attendance and truancy. Learn best practices for increasing attendance!

Children's Hospital of Colorado offers guidance on how to identify, screen for, assess and treat school refusal in kids and adolescents. Find out what your child needs or maybe is concerned with when it comes to refusing to go to school. 

The Children's Health Council (CHC) give suggestions on what parents can do to help stop the cycle of school refusal. They also offer articles and resources around ADHD, Autism and more.

Reach Out is focused on better mental health and well being for all young people. They offer practical strategies for dealing with school refusal and understanding your child's "why" behind it. 

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Each and every school in District 49 is dedicated to your student! Many staff are equipped to support you and your child in attending and making the most out of every day. Check your school for:

• Attendance Secretaries - These staff members are here to help you with the process of excusing your child from school. They are your first point of contact with doctor's notes, calling in your student sick or discussing a trip during the regular school year. 
• Building Administration - Your school's administration is dedicated to supporting students inside school with academics, behavior and attendance. They will be a part of the process for truancy if your student misses too many days and must follow Colorado Law accordingly. Their goal is for all students to succeed so be on the look out for information on next steps in the process, if needed. 
• Community Engagement Advocates (CEA)- D49 has 3 CEAs ready to offer support, resources, and time for your child if they are struggling with attendance. This group frequently visits each school building to touch base with students, to monitor their academic progress, and to find resources for your child to remove educational barriers or improve their attendance. 
• Family Engagement Liaisons - mostly in Title 1 schools, the liaison works to support you and your family by providing resources, removing educational barriers and keeping you up to date on possible consequences when certain absence thresholds are met.
• Community Liaisons - In all three traditional zones, community liaisons work to break down and relay educational information to our families. Liaisons coordinate local community food and clothing pantries for any community member in need and work to keep the latest information at your fingertips. 
• Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Education (CLDE) Liaisons - D49 employs 2 CLDE liaisons that directly support our English Language learners and families. They are responsible for scheduling and facilitating activities to promote family engagement among culturally and linguistically diverse populations. They also establish positive and supportive relationships with parents.
• Military Student Transition Consultant (MSTC) - D49 is proud to be the only district in the region with a Military Student Transition Consultant! The MSTC is a specialized educational professional embedded within the district to provide a continuum of care from entry to exit for military-connected families. The MSTC serves as a liaison between military connected families, D49, military installations, and community partners.

 

• As early as kindergarten, too many absences can cause children to fall behind and can lead to drop out.

• It takes an average of 3 days for a student to catch up from every one day missed.
• Missing 3 or more days per month can set a student back 2 full years oearning.
• Missing 10% (about 18 days) can impact a child’s ability to learn to read and overall academic success. Regular attendance is an important life skill that will help your child graduate and maintain a job/career.

 

• Talk about the importance of coming to school every day, on time, and make this an expectation. 
• Help your child maintain daily routines, such as finishing homework and getting a good night's sleep.
• Set a regular bedtime and morning routine. Try not to schedule medical and dental appointments during the school day.
• Do not let your child stay home unless truly sick. Complaints of headaches/stomach aches can be a sign of anxiety, or other underlying issues, and should be discussed with the school counselor or school administration.

 

Community Engagement Advocates (CEA) are available to help families with attendance needs. Please contact a CEA if you would like support or need community resources. 

Lindsay Cohen - lindsay.cohen@d49.org - serves Evans Elementary, Remington Elementary, Stetson Elementary, and Springs Ranch Elementary as well as Ridgeview Elementary and Inspiration View Elementary.

Michael Martinez - michael.martinez@d49.org - serves Horizon Middle School and Sand Creek High School as well as Falcon Middle School and Falcon High School.

Rebekah Lusk - rebekah.lusk@d49.org - serves Odyssey Elementary, ALLIES, Skyview Middle School and Vista Ridge High School as well as Bennet Ranch Elementary, Meridian Ranch Elementary, Falcon Elementary, and Woodmen Hills Elementary.

 

Letters are sent to parents/guardians when a student has been absent from school for a specific number of days, even if the parent call in and excused the student, to alert the guardians of their child's absences. 

The school recognizes that there are many reasons why a student may be absent and we try to accommodate families' needs. However it is also important for students to attend school regularly.

That is why the state has specific attendance requirements. The school is required to send out attendance letters to alert the family when absences are becoming, or have reached the level of excessive absences, even if those absences have been excused. 

If you feel you have received a letter in error, please contact your child's school. District 49 wants to support families in supporting their child's attendance. 

If you need support from community agencies or if your child is not attending due to academic, behavioral, or social concerns, please contact the school for support or your zone's Community Engagement Advocate. 

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Excused Absence	Unexcused Absence
Personal sickness due to documented illness	Missing the school bus
Funeral or death in the family	Car trouble
Required Court Appearance	Family Vacation or Recreational Trip
Weather Issues	Babysitting younger siblings
	Working during school hours

 

*Any student who is present 50 percent or more of any attendance period during a scheduled school day shall be considered present for that entire recorded and reported period.

Below is District 49's attendance policy. You can find more information by going to https://www.d49.org/discover-d49/bell-schedules/attendance-policy.

Absences may be classified as either excused or unexcused. In accordance with the law, the district may impose appropriate penalties that relate directly to classes missed while unexcused. The administration shall develop regulations to implement appropriate penalties. Students and parents or guardians may appeal any penalties imposed as set forth in the regulation.

Classifications of Absences

Excused absences

Excused absences are defined as:

• 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.
• Absences by those who are in the custody of court or law enforcement authorities.
• Absences determined by school administration to be excusable, such as doctor’s appointments or appointments with outside agencies.

Excessive excused absences will require verification from the appropriate doctor, dentist, agency, etc. Parents or guardians must notify the appropriate attendance office within 48 hours (excluding weekends) when their child will not be in school. When the absences have been deemed excused by school administration, students are expected to make up work and will be allowed 2 school days to make up work for each day of absence. For example, if a student is absent for 2 days, he or she will be allowed 4 days to make up work. All major projects are due on the day specified. Out-of-school suspensions will not count as absences.

Absences because of doctor’s appointments or outside agency appointments may be considered excused with appropriate documentation of the appointment. The absences may be considered unexcused until the appropriate documentation has been provided to the school’s administration. At that time, the school’s administration may deem the absences to be excused. If appropriate documentation of the appointment is not provided to the school, the absence may remain as unexcused.

Absences for elementary school students will be documented in half day increments. Once students have exceeded the approved number of excused absences, and there are more absences, written documentation from a practitioner or agency may be required in order for the absences to not only be considered excused, but to also address the reasons for the excessive absences. The absences may therefore be considered unexcused until the appropriate documentation is provided to the school’s administration.

Prearranged Absences

Family vacations during school time are strongly discouraged, as they are counted towards total student absences which may exceed the specified limit and may become unexcused absences. Vacations should be planned for times when school is not in session. Parents are encouraged to follow the district approved calendar for scheduled breaks. A written request for a prearranged absence should be made at least a period of time equal to the length of time the student will miss school and presented to the school’s administration. For example, a one day absence would require a one day notice. All assignments are due prior to the period of absence unless otherwise specified by a teacher. Excused or prearranged absences in excess of district designated number of allowable absences may become unexcused.

Weather
Parents and guardians are expected to take the responsibility for determining whether it is safe to send their child to school due to severe weather. When the district makes the decision to close school, or have a delayed start to the school day due to severe weather, the student will not be penalized for the duration of the closure.

School-sponsored Activities
Absences incurred when students miss class because of participation in school field trips, musical performances, student conferences, or other school-related activities will be considered excused. Teachers and administrators will be provided with a list of students participating in such activities at least 48 hours in advance. Assignments are to be completed and turned in prior to a school sponsored trip unless otherwise specified by a teacher. Administrators or teachers may refuse a student the right to participate if academic, behavioral and attendance expectations are not being met.

Unexcused Absences
An unexcused absence is defined as an absence that is not covered by one of the foregoing excused absence exceptions. Each unexcused absence shall be entered on the student’s record. The parents or guardians of the student receiving an unexcused absence will be notified by the district of the unexcused absence whenever possible. When students accumulate 3 days or more of unexcused absences, a letter will be sent to the parents and guardians notifying them of the school’s concern. If after a further period of time, there is no significant improvement in the student’s attendance, or the student’s attendance continues to accrue in unexcused absences to a total of 5 days, the parents or guardians will receive another notification in writing. If upon further days of unexcused absences totaling 7 days, the district will file a notice of non-compliance with the attorney’s office and El Paso County courts. Finally, if the student continues to demonstrate unexcused absences which have accrued to 10 days, the school will file a petition with the attorney’s office and El Paso County courts. When a petition gets filed, the student is mandated to appear in truancy court.

In accordance with state law, students with excessive absences may be designated as “habitually truant” and shall be reported to the Colorado Department of Education. When a student demonstrates excessive unexcused absences, the student, parents and school working together are to determine the cause of the absences. The school may use site-based teams to address academic and behavioral concerns, use an attendance contract with the student and parent or guardian; make referrals to outside agencies if deemed appropriate to remediate the causal factors for the unexcused absences. In accordance with the law, the district may impose academic penalties which relate directly to classes missed while unexcused. The administration shall develop regulations to implement appropriate penalties. Students with unexcused absences are expected to make up work and will receive partial credit towards the earned grade.

Any student who has been absent from class for 10 or more consecutive days of unexcused absences in any one school year, except for reasons of expulsion, out-of-district placement, excused long term illness and death shall be considered a “dropout” and shall be reported to the Colorado Department of Education by the district. However, if the student returns back to school by re-enrolling, is in attendance at the end of the school year, enrolled in another school with appropriate proof of enrollment including an approved home school program, online school program, or appropriate proof of enrollment in another school district, such student is not considered a dropout and shall not be reported as such.

Student and parents or guardians may petition the Board of Education for exceptions to this policy or the accompanying regulations provided that no exception shall be sustained if the student fails to abide by all requirements imposed by the board as conditions for granting such exception.

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 or guardians shall be notified of all penalties regarding tardiness. Students with excessive tardies to class or who habitually leave school early for reasons other than those listed under reasons for excused absence, may be placed on an attendance contract and/or referred for truancy proceedings. A student who has excessive tardies may be designated at “Habitually Tardy” and the administration may impose penalties associated with such designation.

 

General procedures for penalties for tardiness or leaving school early as defined as an “early out” are as follows:

• On the fourth tardy and early out, the teacher will contact the parent or guardian.
• On the fifth tardy and early out, or an accumulation of five tardies for any and all classes, a referral may be written, the student may have an administrative conference and may receive disciplinary consequences, 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 10 tardies and early outs, the student will have an administrative conference and may receive further disciplinary consequences. At that time parents/guardians will be called and an administrative conference will be held to establish an attendance contract. The contract will include the consequences for further occurrences of tardiness, including a possible designation of being “habitually tardy”. After this conference, the behavior will be considered "insubordination," and consequences will be assigned accordingly including a referral for truancy. This exhibit supports Board policies JH, JH-R and JHB. The following criteria is set forth to maintain established protocol regarding the number of unexcused absences a student has and is aligned with the procedures that are enacted accordingly. Parents are encouraged to review their child’s attendance on a regular basis.