District Attendance Policy

The Seymour Board of Education believes that regular attendance is essential to the overall academic, social and emotional development of students. Parents and school personnel must work together to help students take advantage of their educational opportunities. In this respect, parental guidance is essential to encouraging regular school attendance.

The Seymour Board of Education requires that each parent or other person having control of a child at least five (5) years of age and under eighteen (18) years of age, who resides in Seymour, shall cause such child to attend school regularly during the hours and terms that the Seymour Public Schools are in session, except as follows:

• the student has graduated from high school;

• the student is age five (5) or six (6) and a parent has personally appeared at the Seymour Board of Education office and signed an option form setting out his/her election not to enroll the student in school for that given year in accordance with Board Policy.

• the student is age sixteen (16) or seventeen (17) and a parent has personally appeared at the Board of Education office and signed an option form setting out his/her election not to enroll the student for that given year in accordance with Board Policy.

• the parent shows that the student is elsewhere receiving equivalent education and/or has completed the necessary home-schooling paperwork with the Superintendent's Office.

Definitions (related to chronic absenteeism)

Chronically absent child:  An enrolled student whose total number of absences at any time during a school year is equal to or greater than ten percent of the total number of days that such student has been enrolled at such school during such school year.

Absence:  An excused absence, unexcused absence or disciplinary absence, as those terms are defined by the State Board of Education pursuant to C.G.S. 10-198b.

District chronic absenteeism rate: The total number of chronically absent children in the previous school year divided by the total number of children under the jurisdiction of the Board of Education for such school year.

School chronic absenteeism rate: The total number of chronically absent children for a school in the previous school year divided by the total number of children enrolled in such school for such school year.

Excuses: An absence shall be considered "excused" when a child does not attend school due to illness or injury, death in the immediate family, religious obligation, an emergency, or other exceptional circumstances. Written excuse for such absences should be submitted to school officials by the child's parent or guardian. All other absences, with or without written explanation, shall be considered unexcused.

Students who plan to be absent for reasons other than those listed above, should seek approval by presenting a note from home to the Principal. Responsibility for completion of missed classwork lies with the student, not the teacher. Unless a student has an extended illness, all make-up work will be complete within five (5) days after the student returns to school.

Dismissal: No school, grade, or class may be dismissed before the regularly scheduled dismissal time without the approval of the Superintendent or his/her designee.

No student may be permitted to leave school at any time other than at regular dismissal without the approval of the student's parent/guardian. If a court official with legal permission to take custody of a child, or if a police officer arrests a student, the parent/guardian should be notified of these situations by the administration.

Excused Absences: Students who do not attend school for a minimum of four (4) hours due to illness or other reason will not be allowed to participate in any school related activity on the day of the absence. Exceptions to this rule may only be granted by the Principal or his/her designee. Exceptions will only be considered when extraordinary circumstances exist.

Tardiness to Class: Continued tardiness on the part of any student will be viewed as a very serious matter. Promptness to class is extremely important. Students are expected to be in their places, ready for work, at the bell.

Attendance and Possible Retention - Grades K-8

For the K-8 level, students absent more than twenty (20) days each school year shall be seriously considered for retention, unless the School Review Board - which is comprised of principals, teachers, and other appropriate staff members - determines that the student is eligible for advancement to the next grade. These absences include all legitimate illness absences and any or all other reasons a student may have for staying home or a parent may have for keeping a student home. Evidence of extraordinary illness must include statements from a physician.