Attendance / Schedule 

ATTENDANCE POLICY

CGUHSD encourages regular attendance at school. There is a direct relationship that exists between attending school and

academic success. As educators, we know regular school attendance is a necessary part ofthe learning process and is key to

getting a good education. Students who are frequently absent may be putting their future in jeopardy. Studies have shown

that chronic absenteeism, especially truancy, is highly associated with dropping out ofschool. Please be sure your student is

there every school day unless the student is sick. All absences more than a cumulative 10% of the instructional days for the

school year shall be reported to the Arizona Department of Education as unexcused.

Legal Requirements

Arizona law (A.R.S. 15-803) requires students to attend school through the 10th Grade or to 16 years of age. The Board

believes that attaining academic excellence requires regular attendance. Attendance is the responsibility of the student and

parent/guardian; students may fail classes or promotion may be withheld if this requirement is not met.

A. It is unlawful for any child who is between six (6) and sixteen (16) years of age to fail to attend school during the

hours school is in session, unless either:

1. The child is excused pursuant to section 15-802, subsection D or section 15-901, subsection A, paragraph 5,

subdivision (c).

2. The child is accompanied by a parent/guardian, or a person authorized by a parent/guardian.

3. The child is provided with instruction in a homeschool.

B. A child habitually truant or with excessive absences may be adjudicated an incorrigible child as defined in section

8-201. Absences may be considered excessive when the number of absent days exceeds ten (10) percent of the

number of required attendance days prescribed in section 15-802, subsection B, paragraph 1.

C. For the purposes of this section:

1. "Habitually truant" means a truant child who is truant for at least five (5) school days within a school year.

2. "Truant" means an unexcused absence for at least one (1) class period during the day.

3. "Truant child" means a child who is between six (6) and sixteen (16) years of age and who is not in attendance

at a public or private school during the hours that school is in session, unless excused as provided by this

section.

Definitions:

• Tardy: Students will be considered tardy if they are not in their classroom when the tardy bell rings.

Parents/Guardians may NOT call the Attendance Office to excuse a tardy.

 Absent Tardy (AT): Students will be considered absent tardy if they arrive to class after 10 minutes. This will

count as an absence.

• Excused Absence: Parents/Guardians must notify the attendance office of student absences. Medical documentation

must be provided to the attendance office within 48 hours of the date of absence. Failure to provide medical

documentation within 48 hours will result in an unexcused absence. Some other examples of excused absences are:

 Personal or Family illness

 Doctor or dentist appointment

• We encourage all appointments to be made after school or on non-school days.

 Death in the immediate family

 Religious holidays

 Court appearances

Casa Grande Union High School District

Student Handbook

Approved 7/11/2024

• Unexcused Absence: A school absence is unexcused if it does not meet the excused requirements above, or the

parent/guardian does not contact the school to excuse an absence that meets the excused criteria above before

the absence, or within 48 hours of the absence.

• School-Related Absence: An absence is school-related if it is due to a pre-approved school-related activity. It will

not count as an absence.

• Suspension: The days of suspension, both in-school and out-of-school, do not count as absences for the

attendance policy.

Consequences for Absences

The following actions will be taken after three (3) and five (5) unexcused absences per semester:

• Three (3) Absences:

o When a student reaches three (3) unexcused absences for any or all classes, they will receive a 3-Day

Absence Letter and may be assigned lunch or after-school detention as determined by the

Interventionist. The parent/guardian will receive the letter via email (or U.S. Mail if email is not

available).

• Five (5) Absences:

o When a student reaches five (5) unexcused absences for any or all classes, they will receive the 5-Day

Absence Letter and may be assigned after-school detention as determined by the Interventionist. The

parent/guardian will receive the letter via email (or U.S. Mail if email is not available).

• Nine (9) or More Unexcused Absences

o Once a student reaches nine (9) or more unexcused absences, they will be referred to administration to

determine disciplinary consequences. A parent/guardian meeting will be required to sign a Class

Agreement Form. The Class Agreement Form will be completed between the teacher and student to help

address Possible No Credit (PNC). This may be in addition to after-school detention or In-School Detention

(ISD).

• Ten (10) Consecutive Absences

o After ten (10) consecutive days of unverified absences per semester, the state requires schools to

automatically withdraw the student from the school.