Attendance

The laws of the State of Oregon require a student to attend school. The goals of the school’s attendance policies are to: 

A) contribute to the academic success of students;
B) inform parents about their students' class attendance or non-attendance;
C) place the responsibility for attendance in the hands of students and their parents;
D) aid students in making decisions and accepting the responsibilities and consequences resulting from those decisions;
E) stress that punctual and regular attendance is a necessary life skill;
F) meet Oregon graduation requirements.

Parents must contact the high school, preferably before 9:00 AM, the day their son/daughter is absent. If contact has not been made within three days, the absence will remain unexcused and subject to notification as an unexcused absence.   

The following are considered excused absences:        

1. Illness of the student. 

2. Illness of an immediate family member when the student's presence at home is necessary.

3. Emergency situations that require the student's absence as approved by the Principal or his/her designee. 

4. Field trips and school approved activities.        

5. Medical or dental appointments (confirmation of appointments may be required). 

6. Family trips which are prearranged with the Principal.        

7. The school may grant two days of prearranged absence to those who wish to hunt locally. Up to five days of prearranged absence may be given to those who wish to hunt out of the area.

8. Other reasons deemed appropriate by the school administrator when satisfactory arrangements have been made in advance of the absence.        

9. If you attend an activity or event when you are absent from school, you may be asked to leave. The school retains the right of accepting or rejecting any statement as being a valid reason for absence. Students may be required to bring a medical note from a physician verifying needs for medication or verifying their appointment with the doctor. Any charges resulting from such notes will be the responsibility of the student or their families.

NOTE: These criteria guide schools in determining what is an excusable absence or tardy. A parent excusing a child’s absence or tardy does not make it “excused” under district policy and Oregon law. Examples include oversleeping and vehicle issues...

Students who leave school after attending classes must:

• Prearrange the absence or have parents contact the school in person or by telephone the day before they leave.    

• Establish contact with a parent who will excuse the absence of the student with the office staff before the student leaves campus.

• Sign out at the office or they will be considered unexcused and/or truant.

A student who has an excused absence is responsible for making up specific assignments missed and/or to complete additional in-depth study assigned by the teacher to meet subject or class requirements. Parents should contact the office by 8:30 AM to arrange for the collection of homework assignments for a student who will be absent two or more days. Failure to make up assigned work within a reasonable amount of time--generally the same as the number of days missed or as allowed by the teacher--will result in a grade of zero for the assignment – this includes periods missed due to sports or activities. A student with an unexcused absence will be allowed to make up work missed/not credited due to the absence only if the teacher grants that permission or if the work missed is a major exam or assignment.

Students need to complete and return a pre-arranged absence form to the office for any planned absences exceeding three or more school days, at least two days prior to their planned absence.  Students are responsible for informing their teachers of any planned absences exceeding three or more school days. 

Students should request homework if they plan on completing assignments during their pre-arranged absence period. If students choose not to request homework in advance, they will be allowed one day for each day absent to make up the work they missed in class.  Prolonged absences may jeopardize a student's ability to earn course credit, if they do not complete the required assignments, tests, and/or projects assigned.

Teachers will consider a student’s participation in determining a grade reduction or credit denial, though attendance will not be the sole criteria used. Such decisions will not be based on non attendance due to religious reasons, a student’s disability or an excused absence, as determined by district policy. At the beginning of each school year or class, teachers will inform students and parents how attendance and class participation are related to the instructional goals of the subject and class.

Eleven unexcused absences will result in a possible loss of credit for the class until a conference/hearing between parent, student, teacher and administrator has taken place to implement a plan of correction for the missed instruction and future expectations. After an 11 day attendance referral, in order for students to make up work for classes, they must schedule work time with teachers to comply with seat time requirements as per the Compulsory Attendance Law. Students must spend 30 minutes in each classroom in which they want to make up work. This can be done from 3:30 PM-4:00 PM after the regular school day. This will be required for every absence after the 11th day is missed in a semester; otherwise, students will not be allowed to make up missed work.

The following policy regarding unexcused tardiness is to be followed unless an alternate system has been made by the teacher:

Three tardies received in the same period during two consecutive weeks will result in placement on the progressive discipline matrix at BHS, beginning with one after school detention (ASD) for the first offense.

Four tardies accumulated in any period for one week will result in placement on the progressive discipline matrix at BHS, beginning with one ASD for the first offense.

Repeated patterns of tardies (For example, multiple tardies after lunch) will result in placement on the progressive discipline matrix at BHS, beginning with one ASD for the first offense.

Because late arrivals result in classroom disruption and lost teaching time, habitual tardiness may reduce the offending student’s grade or the removal of that student resulting in a failing grade. At the beginning of each NINE week grading period, or as needed, the tardy policy starts over.

If detention is not served, an additional detention will be assigned. Willfully failing to serve detention may result in suspension. Those that become referrals to the building administrator  remain on the student’s conduct record.

A student who is absent from school or from any class without school permission and parent knowledge will be considered truant and will be subject to disciplinary action. Chronic truancies will bring about a referral to the building administrator and a recommendation for expulsion and an alternative educational program.

Oregon law requires we withdraw any student who is marked absent for ten consecutive full school days. Re-enrollment will be required to return to school.