The Board of Education has established the following rules and regulations regarding attendance, absences and excuses for students. These rules and regulations are intended to comply with Missouri Compulsory Attendance Law (167.031, RSMo.) which establishes compulsory attendance for all children between the ages of seven and seventeen years of age or having completed sixteen (16) credits toward graduation.

Student Absences Documented or Undocumented

1. In case of absence, it is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to notify the If the school is not notified on the day of absence, a note from the parent/guardian will be required on the first day of the student's return to school. The absence will be recorded as documented or undocumented. All absences must be changed within one (1) week after return to school or the absence will be permanently recorded as undocumented. After the week period, only Administrative approval can change the status of any absence.
   
   
2. Documented absences include:
   1. Illness of the student with a physician’s note.
   2. Days of religious observance with a
   3. Death in the family with a
   4. Doctor and dental appointments with a physician’s note.(Parents are encouraged to make those appointments outside of school hours if )
   5. Court appearances with
   6. Other absences to be considered at the discretion of administration on an individual basis with documentation.

When a parent is aware in advance that their child will be absent from school, it is the parent’s responsibility to inform the school prior to the absence. Documentation will be required to support a pattern of absences which, in total, are seen as excessive.

3. All assignments missed due to absences are expected to be made
   It is the student’s responsibility to meet with the teacher and receive the necessary instructions and assignments as per the following procedures.

1. The student shall obtain assignments from appropriate staff
2. Arrangements should be made in advance if the absence is
3. All assigned work should be submitted upon returning to school if the absence is
4. All classroom work (to include tests) shall be completed as indicated by the individual classroom
5. If make up time is required as a result of an undocumented absence, the make up time must be

4. Attendance patterns for all students will be monitored. The principal and/or staff will take appropriate action to investigate absences that are not documented. Five (5) total absences per semester will be considered excessive for the purpose of potentially establishing a pattern of truancy or educational neglect (nature of absence will be used to assist in determining the appropriate course of action). The following procedures will be implemented once a student is

Beginning with the first student absence:

• If the parent/guardian does not contact the school to report the absence, the school will make contact by phone or letter to inform the parent of the
• The parent/guardian will be made aware of the student’s attendance, and school district policy/regulations.

Five (5) days of absences per semester:

• The school will contact the parent/guardian by phone, letter, or other electronic
• The communication may include a request for a parent/student/counselor
• The student’s attendance patterns will be identified and
• If a parent conference is required, a plan will be developed to improve the student’s
• Parents will be informed of possible outside agencies referral, if absences
• Referral to the Positive Support Team (PST) will be

Ten (10) days of absences per year:

• The school will contact the parent/guardian by phone, letter, or other electronic means which may include the attendance policy/regulation, and a copy of the student’s attendance
• The communication will include a request for a parent/student/counselor/principal
• Documented absences will be considered prior to the school notifying either the Jefferson County Juvenile Office and/or the Children’s Division, whichever applies after the student’s tenth absence for students under the age of sixteen years
• Develop or revise plan to improve

Appropriate Referral Agency:

• Division of Family Services will be notified when parents have not cooperated with school-based efforts (calls, letters, conferences) and absences
• Juvenile Office will be notified when parents have cooperated with school-based efforts, the juvenile has not cooperated, and absences

The school will maintain the following documentation and/or data:

• Document the dates of communications, policies, and regulations that are sent to
• Document phone calls and parental
• Document conference dates and parental
• Document attendance plans and any
• Maintain student attendance

5. Any absence from class as a result of a school-sanctioned activity will be considered a documented absence for purposes of this regulation. (Example: field trip, athletic event, student activity, )
   
   
6. Days of student suspension are not considered days absent for purposes of this regulation. Students will be allowed to make up their work for all

* Students on long-term suspension will be allowed to complete work for credit in classes where this is possible. Students will be dropped from any classes where the missed work cannot reasonably be completed.

7. Exceptions to this stated regulation will be made only by administrative discretion on an individual basis. Any absence not accounted for will be considered an undocumented
8. The District’s inadvertent failure to comply with any procedure set forth in the regulation, including but not limited to the notice provisions, will not protect the student from the consequences for excessive absence as provided in this