STUDENT ABSENCES AND EXCUSES

Regular and punctual school attendance is essential for success in school. The Committee recognizes that parents and guardians of children attending our schools have special responsibilities, one of which is to ensure that their children attend school regularly in accordance with state law.

Therefore, students may be excused temporarily from school attendance for the following reasons:

1. Illness or quarantine and medical appointments

2. Bereavement or serious illness in family

3. Weather so inclement as to endanger the health of the child

4. Observance of religious holidays

5. Approved school-related activity

A student may also be excused for other exceptional reasons with approval of the school administrator.

A student's understanding of the importance of day-to-day schoolwork is an important factor in the shaping of his/her character. Parents and guardians can help their children by refusing to allow them to miss school needlessly.

Accordingly, parents/guardians will provide an explanation for the absence or tardiness of a child. This will be required in advance for types of absences where advance notice is possible. Teachers are not required to provide assignments in advance for known absences, unless otherwise agreed upon with the family or by a student’s 504 or IEP Team.

An absent student shall neither be penalized nor denied an advantage provided to others if their absence is for a School Committee-approved reason. However, if a student is absent due to illness, quarantine, or observance of a religious holiday that extends throughout the entire day, the student will be prevented from participating in sports and other extracurricular activities on the same day as the absence.

In instances of chronic or irregular absence reportedly due to illness or disability, the school administration may request a physician's statement certifying such absences to be warranted.

If a student will be out of school for fourteen or more days due to illness or disability, parents/guardians must provide the school administration with a Physician’s Statement for Home/Hospital tutoring. Where a student is or reportedly will be out for more than sixty (60) days in a school year for these reasons, an IEP Team will be convened to evaluate the student and, assuming that the student is eligible for special education, to propose a new IEP or consider amending an existing IEP.

Depending upon the circumstances, the District may take legal action against students who

willfully fail to attend school for more than eight (8) full days in a quarter or parents/ guardians

who fail to send their children to school for more than seven (7) full days in a semester.

Student Absence Notification Program

Each Principal or designee will notify a student’s parent/guardian within 3 days of the student’s absence in the event the parent/guardian has not informed the school of the absence.

Each Principal or designee shall make a reasonable effort to meet with any student, and that student’s parent/guardian, who has missed five (5) or more unexcused school days (a school day shall be equal to two (2) or more class periods in the same day) in a school year. The meeting shall be to develop action steps to improve student attendance and shall be developed jointly by the Principal or designee, the student, and the student’s parent/guardian. The parties may seek input from other relevant school staff and/or officials from relevant public safety, health and human service, housing, and nonprofit agencies.

Dropout Prevention

A student who has not graduated from high school and has been absent from school for ten (10) consecutive days of unexcused absence shall not be considered permanently removed from school unless the Principal has sent notice to the student, and that student's parent/guardian. The notice shall be sent within five (5) days of the tenth consecutive day of absence and shall offer at least 2 dates and times within the next ten (10) days for an exit interview with the Superintendent or designee, the student, and the student's parent/guardian. The notice shall be in both English and the primary language of the home, if applicable. The notice shall include contact information for scheduling the exit interview and shall indicate the parties shall reach an agreement on the date/time of the interview within the ten (10) day timeframe. The timeframe may be extended at the request of the parent/guardian and no extension shall exceed 14 days

The Superintendent or designee may proceed with any interview without a parent/guardian present, provided the Superintendent has documented a good faith effort to include the parent/guardian.

The Superintendent or designee shall convene a team of school staff to participate in the exit interview and shall provide information to the student and, if applicable, the student’s parent/guardian on the detrimental effects of early withdrawal from school and the alternative education programs and services available to the student.

SOURCE: MASC October 2014

LEGAL REFS.: M.G.L. 76:1; 76:1B; 76:16; 76:18; 76:20

Approved by the School Committee: May 6, 2020