Student Attendance Expectations

It is important that parents notify the school when an absence occurs.  You may notify the office via phone call (541-347-4415), email lwirt@bandon.k12.or.us, or send a signed and dated note prior to the absence. Please notify the office prior to 9am on the day the absence occurs.  Please include the reason for the absence and when the student expects to return. 

If the school is not notified of an absence, a safety phone call home will occur.  Regular attendance is integral to the success of our students, but we know that staying home when symptomatic is important.  If you have questions about if your child should stay home, please contact the building principal for further information based on guidance from the Oregon Department of Education and the CDC.

Truancy is considered an unexcused absence. Students that fall below the 92% absent rate or show a pattern of absenteeism will need to provide a doctor’s note to have their absences excused.  A parent may call to request homework if the student is gone 2 or more days.  The following are considered excused absences:

• Illness of the student.

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

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

• Field trips and school-approved absences.

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

• Family trips, prearranged with the Principal.

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

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, vehicle issues, etc.

If a student is going to be absent one or more days due to a planned trip or appointment, please make arrangements 2 or more days in advance of the absence to allow teachers adequate time to prepare.  Students will have 2 days for every day missed to make up missed assignments.  All prearranged homework will be due upon return to school.

Students are expected to be in the classroom before the bell rings.  A student is tardy when they are not in the assigned classroom at the time of the tardy bell (see bell schedule above for exact times).   Our doors open to students at 8:05 am.  Students are not permitted to leave campus after arriving on site for the school day unless they have permission from the office and have signed out.

If arriving at school after 8:15am, students are to report to the office.  If you are late to school for any reason other than illness, family emergency, or appointments: medical, counseling, dental, or court, it is considered an unexcused absence.  Exceptions can be made at the principal’s discretion.  You must present either an excused or unexcused tardy slip to your teacher.  This will show your teacher that you have checked in at the main office for attendance purposes.  If you are late due to a late bus the office will give you an excused tardy slip.

Students who demonstrate chronic tardiness will conference with Behavior Specialist and/or principal and may have consequences including lunch or after-school detention.

Tardy is when a student is less than 10 minutes late to class without an excuse.  Students must be in the classroom when the bell rings.

Skipping is when a student is more than 10 minutes late to a class without an excuse or leaves/misses class without permission.  

Truancy is when a student is chronically more than 15 minutes late to school without an excuse.

Attendance is monitored and frequent tardies are addressed weekly.  Skipping and truancy are addressed as needed.  Multiple tardies result in a lunch detention.  Skipping, truancy, and chronic tardies may result in a behavior referral and consequences ranging from lunch detention to in-school suspension.

Oregon law requires that schools withdraw any student who is marked absent for 10 consecutive full school days.  Re-enrollment will be required to return to school.