GENERAL ATTENDANCE INFORMATION

Compulsory Attendance: Any person having under their control a child who is between the ages of 6 and 18 years and has not graduated from high school shall cause the child to attend school regularly during the full period and hours, religious holidays excepted, that the public or private school in which the child should be enrolled is in session until the end of the school term, quarter, or semester [trimester] of the school year in which the child becomes 18 years of age, Wis. Stat. sec. 118.15(1)(a). Building administration will determine if the nature of the absence will be considered excused.

Attendance Procedures

When you anticipate your student being absent, PLEASE let us know. 

Infinite Campus Absence Request Tool

24-HOUR ABSENCE/ATTENDANCE HOTLINE  (262) 472-8109 

*If your student misses school due to a medical appointment, please submit a doctor’s note.  Medical excused absences do not count  against your student’s attendance.

Excused Absences: A student may be excused by their parent or guardian for any or no reason, including illness without a doctor’s note. Parent Excused Absences are not to exceed 10 days per school year (WI Stat 118.15). Excused Absences may include:

• Vacation 

• Parental/guardian discretion 

• Legal proceedings that require the student’s presence

• Emergencies (funerals, accidents, sudden illness in the family)

• Religious holidays 

• Voting or working at a polling location 

• Suspension or Expulsion

• Post-Secondary Visits (College, Technical College, Military)

• Evidence that the student is not in proper physical or mental  condition to attend school or the educational program. (The  administration may request a note from a physician or licensed  practitioner as proof. This note must state the period of time for  which it is valid, and shall not exceed 30 days.)

Additional Absences must be excused by a written medical (doctor or dentist) or legal (court) excuse, or with prior approval from the school attendance officer.  All absences that exceed ten (10) days without medical or legal excuse will be considered unexcused and therefore truant.

Procedures:  A parent/guardian is required to call the 24-HOUR ABSENCE/ATTENDANCE HOTLINE at (262) 472-8109 before 8:00 a.m on or before the day of the absence stating the reason and the duration.  If a parent/guardian has not called by 10:30am, the student is considered truant. 

Pre-Arranged Absences: Students are expected to be in school every day; however, the school recognizes that situations may arise which make absences from school unavoidable.  

A student who brings in a written parent request for a pre-arranged absence will receive access to a document that will also be shared out to their teachers. Students are expected to review the document and follow-up with their teachers regarding questions about work that will be missed.  Students returning to school with all work completed will be considered as alternative learning situations and will not have the absence count against their 10 days. 

Pre-Planned Absence for 3+ days:

At least one full week BEFORE the planned absence:

1. Parent/Guardian needs to contact the office and student needs to meet with school administration. 

2. Attendance Office / Counselors will notify student’s teachers of excused absence and provide a document to complete with student work. 

3. The student must complete assigned work prior to returning from absence in order for the absence to be excused as alternative learning. 

Make-Up Work Expectations: Students are encouraged to complete as many assignments as possible before the absence. Students returning to school after an excused absence must make arrangements to complete all necessary work. This applies to all class activities, assignments, papers, labs, projects, presentations, tests, quizzes or any other work designated by a teacher. Students will receive up to the number of days absent to complete their missing work unless alternate arrangements have been made.

Unexcused Absences:  If a student misses a class or school day for any reason without parental permission or if their absences total more than the 10 permitted days, the absence will be considered unexcused.  An absence of 15 minutes or more during a class period will be considered an unexcused absence for the whole period and will be subjected to a phone penalty.  All unexcused absences will result in the disciplinary actions found below.

A student who is absent from school without an acceptable excuse for part or all of five or more days on which school is held during a school semester, will be considered a habitual truant and subject to the procedures explained below.  All students who arrive at school after 8:00 AM are required to sign in at the high school office.  Those students who arrive after 7:45 AM without an approved excuse will be subject to the tardy policy.

Consequences for Unexcused Absences:

Consequences for unexcused absences will start with a warning from school administration and then progress to detentions and potentially, truancy citations. Administration reserves the right to apply a consequence that is fitting for the situation. Students with daily or period unexcused absences will be expected to make up the lost learning time and may be subject to phone penalties, and/or loss of privileges to attend school events. We have instituted a monthly incentive system for those students who do not have unexcused absences.

Habitual Truancy Definition and Procedures: “Habitual Truant” s.118.16  (1) (a) means a pupil who is absent from school without an acceptable excuse  for part or all of 5 or more days on which school is held during a school  semester. When a student is identified as a habitual truant, the school shall  notify the parent/guardian. The notice shall include: 

a. A statement of the parent’s/guardian’s responsibility under  s.118.15 (1)(a) to cause a child to attend school regularly 

b. A statement that the parent/guardian or child may request  program or curriculum modifications for the child and that the  child may be eligible for enrollment in a program for children-at risk. 

c. A request that the parent/guardian meet with appropriate school  personnel to discuss the child’s truancy. 

d. A statement of the penalties under s.118.15 (5) that may be  imposed on the parent/guardian if he/she fails to cause the child  to attend school regularly. 

Absence Actions Progression

Tardiness

Arriving Tardy to School in the Morning: Students are expected to be in class on time every day including being present in Period 1 by 7:45 AM. Students arriving to school (1st Period) after 7:45 AM but before 8:00 AM will be marked TARDY. Students will be provided one warning after which they will be subject to phone penalty (leaving their cell phone locked in the office for the entire school day). Students who continue to be tardy to school will see elevated consequences. 

Arriving Tardy to class: Students must have a pass if they are tardy to class. If a student does not have a pass, the student is considered tardy unexcused. When a student arrives late and is tardy unexcused, it is the teacher’s responsibility to work with the student and follow the action steps found below. Students who are more than 15 minutes late to class are charged with an unexcused absence. Students are expected to be in class on time every day. Students who have two or more unexcused period tardies in a day will be subject to a phone penalty. Continued unexcused period tardies will progress to detentions and potentially truancy citations. We have instituted a monthly incentive system for those students who do not have unexcused period tardies. 

Tardy Policy: Students who make a habit of arriving tardy to multiple classes in the same day will be subject to consequences.