Attendance Policy and Rules

ATTENDANCE

ATTENDANCE POLICY

Quick Reference:

Attendance Extra/Co-Curricular Activities

All students who wish to participate in an extra/co-curricular event/activity MUST be in attendance the day of or preceding the event.  Students are not permitted to be dismissed early the day of the prom. 

Students who have been suspended have been determined to be excessively absent or excessively tardy will not be permitted to participate in the following activities: 

EXCESSIVE ABSENCE - Once you pass 14 days absent:

Attendance Review Committee will decide one of the following:

DENIAL OF COURSE CREDIT

The Review committee will review all days not just those over 14.

Note must include: Student Name, Reason for Absence, and Parent Signature (unless other documentation is provided - medical, court, etc.)

The Pennsville Board of Education considers the following cause for an EXCUSED ABSENCE:

For Lateness only - Medical or dental appointment with a physician’s note turned into the office upon returning to school

Even if the Pennsville Board of Education considers a day “excused,” if you go over 14 days IT IS EXCESSIVE!!

Please refer to Pennsville Board Policy 5113 and NJ Statutes Sections 18:38-25 and 26.

Truancy Charges

Truancy charges will be filed with the Pennsville Municipal Court according in accordance with State Statutes and Administrative Code.  Parents of students who are excessively absent and/or excessively tardy will have truancy charges filed with the Pennsville Municipal Court.  Once charges are filed with the court, the judge will determine guilt or innocence and impose monetary fines in accordance with legal precedent. 

Truancy Any child between the ages of six and 16 years who shall repeatedly be absent from school, and any child of such age found away from school during school hours whose parent, guardian or other person having charge and control of the child is unable to cause him to attend school..  A student between the ages of six and sixteen will also be considered truant if he or she:

Attendance Policy Information

The Pennsville Board of Education recognizes and accepts its responsibility to provide a thorough and efficient education for every student within the district boundary.  Compulsory school attendance has been upheld by the courts of New Jersey and the United States Supreme Court as a matter of public concern and legislative regulation.

The Pennsville Board of Education upholds the New Jersey Statutes, Title 18A, Education, which provide broad power to the Board of Education on the governance of schools.  Sections 18:38-25 and 26 specifically deal with attendance.

The education process requires a regular continuity of instruction, classroom participation, learning experiences, and study for each student to obtain the maximum benefits of a thorough and efficient educational program.  Frequent absences disrupt this continuity.

The curriculum is designed for the length of the academic year and every absence reduces the ability of the student to satisfactorily complete the prescribed courses of study.

The school cannot be accountable to the students nor the public in terms of educational results unless students are in regular attendance. 

Students who are excessively absent do not comply with the prescribed condition for granting course credit.

The student has the major responsibility to learn and prior to the age of sixteen, the student and parent/guardian are accountable for his/her attendance.

Once a student declares the age of majority (eighteen) and exercises his/her rights, the school will sever all educational ties with the parent/guardian and will deal directly with the student regarding all educational matters.

The student upon returning to school must present a written note, from his/her parent or guardian stating the date of and an explanation for the student’s absence.  If a student declared the age of majority, this student may write his/her own note of explanation which is to include the day of absence. The administration reserves the right of verification of all notes.

A medical excuse may only be issued by a licensed physician.  A student with a medical excuse from his/her own private physician must report to the nurse before school begins.  If a student wishes to see the nurse for a medical emergency, he/she must change into the PE uniform first, report to squads, and then ask to report to the nurse.  A student shall be permitted one excuse (not medically by his/her physician) per marking period without penalty. A student who is medically excused “UFN” from PE shall be excluded from extra curricular activities and may not rejoin that activity until medically cleared by his/her physician.

A student, age sixteen or older, voluntarily withdrawing from school attendance who wishes to re-enter shall appear before the Drop-Out Re-entry Committee.  This committee shall have the power to review the student’s records and to determine the time and conditions of re-entry.

The Board of Education shall not grant course credit to any student not meeting the requirements of the attendance policy.

The school year for the purpose of this policy shall be the number of days adopted by the Board of Education as the school calendar.  Course credit may be denied if a student is absent 14 class days of a yearly course or 7 class days of a semester course during the school calendar year.

This is not a permissive policy establishing or “licensing” a limit which may be missed with no harm, but rather assumes absences will occur due to personal illness and serious personal or family problems.

Attendance Extra/Co-Curricular Activities

All students who wish to participate in an extra/co-curricular event/activity MUST be in attendance the day of or preceding the event.  Students are not permitted to be dismissed early the day of the prom. 

Students who have been suspended have been determined to be excessively absent or excessively tardy will not be permitted to participate in the following activities: 

Students who attend extra and co-curricular events must be in academic good standing and have no suspensions for one calendar month prior to the extra/co-curricular event.

EXTENDED ABSENCES AND HOME INSTRUCTION

Continuity in education is critical to student success.  Realizing that serious illness may keep a student out of school for an extended period of time, we can provide home instruction.  In order to provide home instruction, a parental request (in writing) and a physician’s certificate stating that the student is unable to attend school on a normal basis are to be submitted to the principal.  If the anticipated absence will instruction will not be provided.  Most home instruction will take place by using district staff either in the student’s home or in a mutually convenient location. 

Home instruction may also take place through a contracted agency.  In the event that an agency is contracted by the district, the student will receive instruction by the agency while completing the necessary work/assessments forwarded by the regular class room teachers.  It may also be necessary while being instructed by a contracted agency that formal assessments be administered during the learning center program after school hours from 2:25 to 4:25 Monday through Thursday.  Please note that when on home instruction, elective classes will not be offered due to the specialized nature of the classes – therefore, home instruction may result in a lower number of credit hours, and possibly jeopardize progress toward a timely graduation. Students on homebound may not participate in extra/co-curricular activities, including dances, field trips, and the prom.

RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS

The State of New Jersey and the Pennsville Board of Education recognizes that some religious holidays fall on regular school days.  If a student intends to be absent from school in observance of a religious holiday, we request a parental note at least one week prior to the absence.

EARLY DISMISSAL

In order to obtain an early dismissal; a parental note must be delivered to the office before the start of the school. The note should explain the reason for the request, a phone number, time of departure and a parent/guardian’s signature. Early dismissals to go to work are unacceptable and illegal.  

Parents should pick students up in the main office.  The student will be required to report to the office in order to be excused.  Any student leaving school early without authorization from the office will be disciplined for cutting.

Senior Option  All senior option students must provide the PMHS administration with a signed parental release/note stating that the student is permitted to sign out for senior option. 

NOTE: The dismissal time for senior option runs according to the class schedule following the 3rd block class. If the schedule changes the senior option student must remain until the end of 3rd block regardless the time change of the specialized day schedule.  

18 Year Old Students  At NO time will 18 year old students be permitted to sign out of school without officially declaring the age of majority and demonstrating his/her emancipation from his/her parent(s)/guardian(s).  Please note that once a student declares the age of majority (18) and effectively demonstrates his/her emancipation, the school will sever all educational ties with the student’s parent(s)/guardian(s), and will deal directly with the student regarding all educational matters.

Students may declare majority status by expressing in writing their wish to exercise their rights to the high school principal.  It will then be up to the student to demonstrate his/her emancipation by providing evidence of his/her financial and living independence from his/her parent(s)/guardian(s) to the Administration.  Upon receipt of the student’s declaration of the age of majority, the administrative staff will contact the student’s parent(s)/ guardian(s) to advise them of the declaration, as well as confirm the age of majority and emancipation.  Any parent wishing to object to such a declaration may do so in writing to the Pennsville High School Principal. 

LATENESS TO SCHOOL

Students who report to school after 7:40 am must obtain a pass.  There are very few acceptable excuses for lateness, and students should anticipate disciplinary action.  Oversleeping, car troubles, missed rides, are not acceptable reasons for lateness. 

Not Reporting to Assigned Class (Class Cut)

Students may anticipate severe penalties for each class “cut.” Field trips, class or club meetings, guidance interviews, etc., must be recognized by the affected teachers prior to the student missing the class. Failure to get approval will be considered a “cut.”  Any student who goes to the nurse’s office without the written permission of his/her classroom teacher will be subject to the above enforcements. Spending class time in the lavatory, rather than with the nurse, when ill is considered a “cut.” Students are to be in supervised situations throughout the school day. A “cut” class will count against the student’s attendance. 

REPORTING TO SCHOOL

In appreciation of our neighbors and in an effort to extend simple courtesies, please do not congregate, park, or loiter on the properties adjacent to the school.  The area by the cafeteria and Pat’s Pizzeria is off limits.

Link to attendance policy from www.psdnet.org: Pennsville BOE Policy 5113:  Attendance