ATTENDANCE
REGULATIONS: Policy # 5060
STUDENT
ATTENDANCE REGULATIONS
Absence from school jeopardizes the ability of a pupil to
satisfactorily complete the prescribed course of study and violate
the statutes requiring children to regularly attend school. (N.J.S.A.
18A: 38-35-26).
The
Board accepts the responsibility of properly operating schools
within the context of prevailing law and regulations. It cannot
succeed in its paramount task of providing an education, as proposed
through accepted curriculum and courses of study, unless the pupils
for which it is intended, are present for all regularly scheduled
classroom learning activities. Consequently, there is an impelling
responsibility upon the parents and pupil for the pupil to attend
school as scheduled. Therefore, the board of education cannot condone
nor permit absences from school, for whatever reason, and will
not issue credit if maximum pupil attendance is not accomplished.
I. ABSENTEEISM
DEFINITION
OF EXCUSED ABSENCES
An absence is excused only if it occurs because of a driver’s test, a
court appearance, a doctor appointment, a medical excuse signed by a physician,
a funeral in the family, or a religious holiday. Unlike elementary school,
a note from home does not excuse a student.
DEFINITION
OF UNEXCUSED ABSENCES
All other absences are considered unexcused. Students in the GEHRHSD are allowed
a maximum of ten unexcused absences. These are not free days, but are absences
that occur because of family responsibilities, an illness not requiring a doctor,
or vacations.
SCHOOL-SPONSORED
ACTIVITIES
Pupils shall not be considered absent while participating in a school-sponsored
activity.
LOSS
OF COURSE CREDIT
Pupils who miss over ten (10) days of school (unexcused absences) will not
have completed the course of study as prescribed, and, as such, do not qualify
to receive the assigned credit for the course, subject to an appeal. In order
to regain credit, an appeal must be submitted, granted, and credit completion
sessions or long detention assigned wherein relevant course work is completed.
CREDIT
COMPLETION
The school maintains a consistent obligation requiring pupils to be present
in school in order that they may be taught. The non-credit status may be a
temporary condition totally predicated upon the attendance performance of the
pupil. The pupil may overcome this condition by making up the school hours
either in a Saturday Detention program or a long detention program offered
by the school. Pupils, who miss more than ten (10) school day in a school year,
will be assigned to complete the course requirements in either the Saturday
Detention program or the long detention program.
Pupils
who miss more than 36 days in a school year, are not eligible to
appeal for either the credit completion program or the long detention
program.
Credit
Completion/Saturday Detention-Please note: Saturday Detention replaces
Summer Credit Completion. Therefore, there will be no Summer Credit
Completion during June/July 2002 for Oakcrest students. Saturday
Detentions will begin at 9:00am and conclude at 11:00am for a total
of two hours. Please note: one Saturday Detention will make up
two unexcused absences.
As
has been past practice, students may attend sessions of late detention
during the school year to make up days if they go on no-credit
status for attendance. Once a student goes on no-credit status
for attendance (exceeds 10 days of unexcused absence), attending
Saturday Detention will be another option besides Late Detention
to regain credit status.
Pupils
who are absent fewer than 10 school days do not jeopardize their
subject credit status.
Students
who are absent more than 10 days must complete their long detention
assignments during the school year in which they occurred, or serve
their Saturday credit completion sessions, or lose credit permanently.
TOTAL
LOSS OF CREDIT
Pupils who miss in excess of 36 school days (excused and unexcused absences)
will lose credit for the entire year. Long detention or credit completion cannot
be used to reinstate credit if the total number of absent days exceeds 36.
CONSECUTIVE
ABSENCES
Any pupil who misses 10 consecutive school days, and who does not appear on
home assignment, home instruction, and/or who is not medically verified as
incapacitated, will be issued a written notification to report to school within
5 school days. Failure to do so may result in the following:
1.
Pupils under the compulsory school age (below 16 years of age)
shall have presented to their parents, a formal written notice
to cause the child to attend school (NJSA 18-A-29). Failure to
comply with the provisions of the law may cause the parent to be
subject to a fine (NJSA 18A: 38-29).
2.
Pupils above the compulsory age, not complying with the notice
to return to school, will be notified that within 10 days they
must present to the high school Vice-Principal for re-admittance.
Each case will be reviewed upon the merits of the petitioner.
LATE
ENTRANTS TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT
Students who enter school after the beginning of the year, will have one day
per month of unexcused absences. (Example: a student who enters November 15
will have 10 days of permissible, unexcused absence.) This will be determined
as part of the registration by the admitting counselor.
TRANSFERS
FROM THE DISTRICT
If a student transfers to another high school during the school year, grades
earned to that time will be sent to the receiving school with notice of non-credit
status and a description of the attendance policy.
ABSENCE
AND PARTICIPATION IN SCHOOL EVENTS-
No student may participate in a program or event related to student activities
or athletics who has not been in attendance on the day of the event, or if
a weekend event, the last school day preceding the event.
II. TARDINESS AND EARLY RELEASE
The orderly conduct of class activity is predicated upon the prompt and precise
beginning of the program. Tardiness and early release hinder the proper conduct
of such activity and impose a distraction which leads to a loss of instructional
time for pupils properly in attendance.
LATENESS
TO SCHOOL-
Students arriving late to school should understand that they place themselves
in academic jeopardy if the practice of lateness is habitual and unexcused.
Some class work can be made up, but students must understand they need to be
present to earn a class participation grade.
1.
Students must be in school prior to 9:25 a.m. in order to receive
credit for the entire day.
2.
Pupils arriving late to school who had a verified appointment with
a physician, dentist, or drivers test will be given an excused
late to school.
3.
Students will be issued a Saturday Detention on their 8th unexcused
late to school.
4.
On the 12th unexcused late to school, a student will be assigned
another day of Saturday Detention. Every additional four lates
will result in another in-school suspension being assigned. Excessive
lateness could result in other disciplinary sanctions.
EARLY
RELEASE-
Sign-out prior to 12:30p.m., the student must produce a documented excuse for
that sign-out.
The
school recognizes emergencies which create a legitimate need for
leaving school early; illness as documented by the school nurse,
a parent verified appointment for a doctor, a parent verified appointment
for a drivers test or a court appointment, etc. For a student to
be counted as present for the day, the student must be present
for four hours of instruction.
III. HOME INSTRUCTION AND HOME
ASSIGNMENT
HOME
INSTRUCTION-
If a student is unable to attend classes because of a continuing illness that
will keep the student out of school for more than ten consecutive days, home
instruction will be provided at no cost to the parents/guardian of the students.
As
soon as it becomes apparent that a student will be out of school
for more than ten (10) consecutive days, the parent must notify
the school nurse (909-2636). The school nurse will notify the home
instruction teacher who will contact the parent.
HOME
ASSIGNMENTS-
Parents should call the Guidance Office to request that homework be sent home
by teachers for a student’s absence of three to ten days duration. The
teacher must be given at least one day notice to prepare the assignments. (For
longer absence, see Home Instruction).
MAKE-UP
WORK-
Pupils are provided an opportunity to complete assignments missed because of
their absences. However, it would be unwise to believe that one can make up
the learning activity of a total class section.
A.
It is the responsibility of the pupil to make arrangements with
the teacher to make up work. Extended time to make up work may
be granted by the teacher.
B.
Pupils choosing to cut classes, or otherwise found to be truant,
may not make up work missed during these infractions.
C.
Pupils may complete assignments for time missed because of actions
initiated by the authorities of the school: i.e., suspension, exclusion,
etc.
IV. ATTENDANCE APPEALS
The Board is cognizant of possible unforeseen factors which may create hardships
relating to the operation of the attendance policy.
1.
Written excuses for absences for professional appointments, drivers
test, doctor appointments/illness, death in the family and religious
holidays must be submitted to the Vice-Principal no later than
10 school days from the date of each absence. If an excuse for
the absence is not submitted within 10 school days from the date
of each absence, it may not be submitted for consideration at later
date.
2.
Any student exceeding 10 days of unexcused absence may appeal a
no-credit status to the Attendance Appeals Committee. The Attendance
Appeals Committee may grant the appeal in full, in part, or deny
the appeal. The recommendation of the Attendance Appeals Committee
may require a student to attend the Oakcrest Credit Completion
Program in order to be returned to credit status.
3.
In keeping with the dictates of fairness and procedural due process,
any appeal of no-credit status that results in attendance in the
Oakcrest Credit Completion Program, will be directed to the Principal/Vice
Principal within ten days of notification of the decision of the
Attendance Appeals Committee.
4.
Appeals to the Assistant Superintendent, the Superintendent and
the Board of Education, relating to the decision, must be made
in writing within ten school days of receipt of the decision.
5.
Decisions of the Board of Education may be appealed to the Commissioner
of Education
|
