The Board of Education requires that school aged pupils enrolled in the schools of this District attend school regularly in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth. The educational program offered by this District is predicated upon the presence of the pupil, which is required for continuity of instruction and classroom participation. Excessive student absence is disruptive of the educational process and, therefore, harmful to our students and to our society. The regular contact of pupils with one another in the classroom and participation in a well-planned instructional activity under the tutelage of a competent teacher are vital to this purpose.
This policy is hereby adopted in coordination with the intended goal of this School District to eliminate unnecessary and excessive student absence. The policy shall apply to all students who are required by the laws of this Commonwealth, and the regulations of the Department of Education, to be in attendance as students enrolled in the Twin Valley School District.
Resident children shall be entitled to attend the District's public schools from the earliest admission age to the District's kindergarten school program until the age of 21 years. School attendance is compulsory from the time the parent or guardian places the student in school, which shall be no later than six (6) years of age until the student reaches eighteen (18) years of age, unless the student has graduated from school. No student shall be admitted to the District's schools who has attained a high school diploma or its equivalent unless such student is part of a foreign exchange program.
Full Attendance Required - Students are required by law to be in full attendance each school day unless absent for an approved reason, which is defined herein as an excused absence.
Any absence not approved shall be deemed to be an unexcused absence. The building principal(s) shall approve excused absences and determine when an absence is unexcused.
Excused Absences - The guidelines governing excused absences are established by the Department of Education and may be found in Chapter II of Title 22 of the Pennsylvania Code. The parents of a student are responsible to see that each child is in lawful school attendance. Therefore, any request that an absence be approved as an excused absence must be requested, in writing, from a parent. The following are the only reasons an absence will be excused:
A. Observance of a student of a bonafide religious holiday in accordance with the student's religious beliefs. Religious instruction is restricted to a maximum of 36 hours per school year. Participation in such instruction shall be voluntary, shall be based upon the written permission of parents/guardians, shall be restricted to one (1) hour per week, and shall be supported by the provision to the District of a weekly attendance record by the sponsor of such religious instruction.
B. To obtain health care from a licensed practitioner, on those occasions when it is not practical or possible for the student to receive such health care after school hours. Absence hereunder shall be limited to the minimum time necessary to receive the required health care.
C. Illness or other urgent reasons. An absence hereunder shall be deemed excused upon receipt of satisfactory evidence of a student's illness, physical injury, or upon other urgent reasons. Non-attendance by a student shall be for a temporary period. The term "urgent reason" shall be strictly applied and shall not permit irregular attendance. Therefore, excused absence hereunder shall be limited to:
1. Illness
2. Physical Injury
3. Death in the student's immediate family
4. Other reasons properly deemed to be "urgent" by the building principal(s)
D. Educational trips, not school sponsored. A student may be excused during a school year for up to five (5) days of absenteeism resulting from family or family financed trips which have educational aspects. The request to be excused for an educational trip must be approved in advance by the building principal. Approval will be contingent upon the student's academic progress, attendance record, and on the student's responsibility for keeping up with assignments during the trip. In the event that the request exceeds 5 school days, the parent will be required to submit a special request to the Superintendent or designee. No trip will be approved during the first or last five (5) days of a semester, or during published state standardized testing dates. The Superintendent or designee will determine whether or not any additional days will be approved.
E. Absences from class for school sanctioned activities, including but not limited to, field trips, athletic events, and non-athletic events shall be exempt from the 30-day excused absences limit described in this policy.
F. Tutorial Work. Upon parental request, a pupil may be excused during school hours for the purpose of receiving tutorial instruction in a field not offered in the District's curriculum but only under the following circumstances: the excuse does not interfere with the regular program of studies; the qualifications of the instructor are approved by the Superintendent; and any instruction or transportation costs associated with receiving tutorial instruction shall be the responsibility of the parent/guardian involved.
G. With prior approval from the Superintendent or designee, a student may receive up to ten additional excused absences for the purpose of visiting with a parent, guardian, or family member who is an active duty member of the uniformed services and has been called to duty for, is on leave from, or immediately returned from deployment to a combat zone or combat support posting.
Unexcused Absence and Penalties - Every student absence from school, or from any class a student is required to attend, which is not approved as an excused absence shall be deemed to be an unexcused absence. The following penalties shall be imposed for unexcused absences:
A. If a secondary student's unexcused absences from any class total more than eight (8) for a semester course or fifteen (15) for a full year course on the last day of the semester course or full year course, the student shall not be granted credit toward graduation or promotion for any such semester course or yearly course.
B. Discipline for attendance infractions will be in compliance with the requirements set forward by state law.
C. The Board authorizes the building principal(s) to revoke driving privileges from any student who reaches five (5) days of unexcused absence in any given marking period during the school year. Regardless of the marking period in which driving privileges are revoked, the revocation may be effective from the date of revocation until the end of the school year.
Specific Unsatisfactory Excuses - In addition to the limitations previously set forth in this policy, students are specifically placed on notice that unsatisfactory excuses may include but not be limited to the following:
A. Missing the bus
B. Oversleeping
C. Automobile Failure
D. Cutting Class
E. Failure of parent to arrange for child care
Excessive Excused Absence - There are many patterns of absence that defy credibility (ex: every Friday, every Monday, every other day). When, in the opinion of the building principal(s) and in accordance with the School Code, a student demonstrates a pattern of chronic absence, a medical excuse may be required.
Excessive Absences Whether Excused or Unexcused - If a student at the secondary level is absent from any class, excused or unexcused, more than fifteen (15) periods for a semester course or thirty (30) periods for a full year course on the last day of the semester or year, the student may not be granted credit toward graduation or promotion for any such semester course or year course for such course or courses. In any such event, the student shall not receive credit for each applicable course. Students at the elementary level who have more than fifteen (15) days of unexcused absence in any school year may not be granted promotion.
Graduating seniors who submit satisfactory documentation may be excused from school attendance for a maximum period of three (3) school days for the purpose of attending required interviews for college admission or for attendance at bona fide interviews for fulltime, postgraduate employment provided that such interviews cannot be scheduled outside of school hours. Juniors who submit satisfactory documentation may be excused from school attendance for a maximum of three (3) school days for college visitations.
Upon return from an absence from school, the student shall provide a written statement signed by the parent/guardian and including the date of and reasons for the absence. If the written statement is not provided within three (3) school days following the student's return to school, the absence will be considered to be an unexcused absence. Each teacher shall maintain an accurate daily record of absences and tardiness for all students in the teacher's classes. The building principal(s) will formulate definitions to distinguish among tardiness, half-day absenteeism, and whole-day absenteeism. Each principal will establish procedures for maintaining close communication with parents/guardians regarding student absenteeism. For students of compulsory school attendance age unexcused absences are illegal; and the District will implement the resulting actions as specified by State legislation.
Make-Up Work - Students are provided an opportunity to complete assignments missed because of absences. Arrangements for makeup work are the primary responsibility of the student and/or the student's parents. Extended time may be granted in cases where extra time is needed. Time and work may be made up after school, at home, or during school hours. Students who cut class or whose absence is illegal or unexcused may not make up any work missed on the dates of illegal or unexcused absences.
Notification of Parents - The school will attempt to notify parents of continued absences from school and classes. Attempts will be made to have parents verify receipt of probationary letters and review letters by having them sent through certified mail. Personal requests for notification on a more frequent basis will be handled through procedure(s) developed by the building principal(s).
Unlawful Absences - The district will follow the guidelines in state law in regards to unlawful absences and truancy.
Exceptions To Student Penalties Imposed Under This Policy - Exceptions to the penalties established by this policy may be granted at the discretion of the principal(s) when, under the individual circumstances involved, it is reasonable and prudent to do so.
Appeals/Reviews - If a student exceeds the maximum days of absence as outlined in this policy with no provision for substantial justification for the absence, the student will have the right to:
1. Petition his/her case to be reviewed by the building level administration.
2. Have the case reviewed by the Superintendent or designee.
Petitions will be accepted only in cases where the petition is for relief from academic sanctions. Petitions will not be accepted for any disciplinary actions or revocation of driving privileges resulting from violations of this attendance policy.
Student Obligation Upon Reporting to School
Parents are asked to call the high school office, 610-286-8600 x7554, between 7:30 am and 9:00 am when a student will be absent or tardy. This call will be listed as a TEMPORARY EXCUSE ONLY. It must be FOLLOWED WITHIN THREE DAYS BY A WRITTEN EXCUSE.
Tardiness
A student must report to his or her first period class before the 7:45 a.m. bell rings. Students arriving tardy to school after 7:45 a.m. must sign in at the late arrival desk or in the office before reporting to class. Any student who fails to do so will be given consequences for failure to follow attendance procedures. A student arriving after 9:30 a.m. will be marked absent for a half day. A student arriving after 1:00 p.m. for full-time students will be recorded as a full day absence. Morning CTC students arriving after 11:00 a.m. are tardy. Additionally, if a morning Vocational Technical student arrives after 1:00 p.m. that student will be marked absent for a half day.
Note: All tardies to school are considered unexcused unless a written note from the parent/guardian is received no more than one day after the tardy to school. Valid excuses for excused absences are listed previously in the handbook.
Excuse Cards for Full-day or Half-day Absences
Written excuses/excuse cards should be turned in as stated above, and include the date(s) absent and specific reason for the full-day or half-day absence. “Personal Reasons” is NOT an acceptable legal excuse. Please note acceptable reasons in the attendance policy as stated previously in this handbook. Doctor excuses are required when such visits are necessary, especially if school time is missed for an appointment. The school realizes the difficulty in scheduling doctor appointments, however, we request parents attempt scheduling appointments outside of the school day. Only extreme cases would call for an entire day of school to be missed for an appointment. Excuse cards for absences must be received by the school within three (3) days after the student’s return or the absence will be classified as unlawful or unexcused. Three days or equivalent of unlawful absence constitutes a first offense toward truancy and the parents or guardians will be notified by the high school principal by registered mail. Any additional unlawful absence constitutes a second offense causing the parents, guardian and/or the student to be issued a summons for a fine, imprisonment, or other penalties as applied by a district justice. In cases of unexcused or unlawful absences, credit for work or tests missed will be withheld and school consequences will be assigned as outlined in the discipline policy.
Early Dismissal
Requests for early dismissal from school must be presented in writing in the school office no later than the morning of the date early dismissal is requested. Phone calls and emails for early dismissal permission will not be accepted. A pass will be issued and the student will sign out in the office before leaving the school grounds. All students leaving early must personally sign out in the high school office. For excused dismissals, students are responsible for completing any missed class work. Students must submit a note from the doctor/dentist/office visited upon return to school in order for the time out to be considered excused. Any student signing out of school without permission will be subject to the discipline code and may result in the loss of make-up work privileges.
Trips and Vacations
Vacations for students during the regular school year are discouraged. Educational trips arranged for any days that may include the first or final weeks of each semester, or state and local assessment periods will not be approved. Parents should check with the school for assessment dates before planning any trips. Parents who wish their student to accompany them on an educational trip are required to submit a trip request form at least a week in advance on the actual trip dates. Forms may be picked up in the school office or can be downloaded from the school website ( www.tvsd.org). The student is responsible to request all assignments from teachers before leaving and present all assignments completed on the day of return.
Make-Up Work After Absences
1. Any student absent from class for legal reasons, including suspension, is required to make up all work missed.
2. It is the responsibility of the student to initiate make-up activities with his/her teachers to obtain the work and help, if needed, to make up the work.
3. A student absent from school shall be required to make up assignments and examinations within a two-week period from the date of the absence. Individual teachers will review classroom procedures for specific situations at the beginning of the school term.
4. Any assignment or examination not made up will be recorded as a failure and be averaged with the grades earned to determine the quarterly mark.
5. Excuse from Physical Education Class Procedure
a. Students who are excused from physical education class for medical reasons should submit a medical doctor's excuse to the school nurse indicating reason for excusal and estimated length of time.
b. Students will be provided with an alternative assignment that they must work on.
c. The physical education instructors will not issue passes to the nurse unless the student is ill or is injured during class.
d. Long-term medical excuses will be considered on an individual basis. In such cases, an alternative assignment will be given.
6. It is urged that any student who knows that he/she will be absent from class see the teacher(s) in advance about schoolwork to be missed.
Note: Students cutting class, leaving school without permission, or absent without a valid excuse may not be permitted to make up class work, projects, labs, or examinations missed during these absences.