Faithful school attendance is an extremely important factor of each student’s education and has many carry-over implications for later in life. Students must be in punctual attendance for school everyday.

Absences

• If a student must be absent from school, parents are requested to call the office before 9 am to report the absence for that day.

• If parents find it necessary to take students out of school for some time, a written request for the absence should be submitted to the principal in advance.

• If the student returns from a verified illness, parents may request that the student be kept indoors to take the recess for a day or two. If the student is still ill, he/she should stay home.

The notification of all absences for your child is required. According to the Idaho Code, School attendance is compulsory. As per District 93 Board Policy, letters will be sent home warning parents of absences:

Letters are sent at 5, 8, and 11 absences per trimester. The 5-absences letter is a warning, the 8-absences letter is a notice of possible juvenile court referral if absences continue, and the 11-absence letter informs parents of the submission of an affidavit to Juvenile Court for a Truancy Officer to address the attendance issue. Besides, when a child reaches 6 tardies in a trimester, he/she will be required to give up all or part of the lunch recess as restitution. A letter will be sent home to inform parents of the problem and urge them to help their child be punctual. Chronic tardiness could also be referred to a Truancy Officer. Consequences of non-attendance are serious, and every effort should be made for faithful and punctual attendance.

Tardiness

“Tardy” is defined as not present in the classroom when the tardy bell rings (8:05 AM). This also applies to students who eat breakfast—please deliver them by 7:45AM so that they have time to eat and get to class on time. Five tardies per trimester are permitted without penalty; the sixth and all subsequent tardies during the trimester, students will give up all or part of their lunch recess as restitution. No student will be held accountable for a tardy due to busing issues.

Any time a student is tardy, he/she must report to the office to obtain an admission slip before being admitted to class. If the student has a medical or dental appointment, please notify the school that the child will be arriving late or removed from class early.

Releasing Students from School

Ucon assumes responsibility for your child’s well-being during school hours under “In Loco Parentis” of Idaho Code. Students may be released to their parents during the school day after the parent has signed the Student Release Log located in the office. This precaution is taken for the protection of your child. We ask for your cooperation and assistance by observing this policy.