Absenteeism/ Truancy Policy - Creston Community Consolidated School District #161

ABSENCES 7:70

Subject to specific requirements in State law, the following children are not required to attend public school: (1) any child attending a private school (including a home school) or parochial school, (2) any child who is physically or mentally unable to attend school (including a pregnant student suffering medical complications as certified by her physician), (3) any child lawfully and necessarily employed, (4) any child over 12 and under 14 years of age while in confirmation classes, (5) any child absent because of religious reasons, including to observe a religious holiday, for religious instruction, or because his or her religion forbids secular activity on a particular day(s) or time of day, and (6) any child 16 years of age or older who is employed and is enrolled in a graduation incentives program.

For students who are required to attend school there are two types of absences: excused and unexcused. Excused absences include: illness (including up to 5 days per school year for mental or behavioral health of the student), observance of a religious holiday or event, death in the immediate family, family emergency, situations beyond the control of the student as determined by the school board, circumstances that cause reasonable concern to the parent/guardian for the student’s mental, emotional, or physical health or safety, attending a military honors funeral to sound TAPS^[1], or other reason as approved by the building principal. Students eligible to vote are also excused for up to two hours to vote in a primary, special, or general election.

Students who are excused from school will be given a reasonable timeframe to make up missed homework and classwork assignments.

All other absences are considered unexcused. Pre-arranged excused absences must be approved by the building principal. The school may require documentation explaining the reason for the student’s absence.

In the event of any absence, the student’s parent/guardian is required to call the school at (815)384-3920 or text (815)440-1111 before 8:00 a.m. to explain the reason for the absence. If a call has not been made to the school by 10:00 a.m. on the day of a student’s absence, a school official will call the home to inquire why the student is not at school. If the parent/guardian cannot be contacted, the student will be required to submit a signed note from the parent/guardian explaining the reason for the absence. Failure to do so shall result in an unexcused absence. Upon request of the parent/guardian, the reason for an absence will be kept confidential.

Diagnostic Procedures for Identifying Student Absences and Support Services to Truant or Chronically Truant Students

State law requires every school district to collect and review its chronic absence data and determine what systems of support and resources are needed to engage chronically absent students and their families to encourage the habit of daily attendance and promote success. This review must include an analysis of chronic absence data from each attendance center.

Furthermore, State law provides that school districts are encouraged to provide a system of support to students who are at risk of reaching or exceeding chronic absence levels with strategies and are also encouraged to make resources available to families such as those available through the State Board of Education’s Family Engagement Framework to support and engage students and their families to encourage heightened school engagement and improved daily school attendance.

“Chronic absence” means absences that total 10% or more of school days of the most recent academic school year, including absences with and without valid cause, and out-of-school suspensions.

The School and District use the following diagnostic procedures for identifying the causes of unexcused student absences: Interviews with the student, his or her parent/guardian and any school officials who may have information about the reasons for the student’s attendance problems.

Supportive services to truant or chronically truant students include: parent conferences, student counseling, family counseling, and information about existing community services.

ATTENDANCE 7:70

Illinois law requires that whoever has custody or control of any child between six (by September 1st) and seventeen years of age shall assure that the child attends school in the district in which he or she resides, during the entire time school is in session (unless the child has already graduated from high school). Illinois law also requires that whoever has custody or control of a child who is enrolled in the school, regardless of the child’s age, shall assure that the child attends school during the entire time school is in session.

Illinois law provides that your child must be in school, and academic progress is improved by regular school attendance. Academic learning cannot take place when students are not in attendance. Attendance is essential to the success of the children in their educational endeavors. Our attendance regulations are developed to encourage students to attend on a daily basis.

Each student is expected to be in school on time. It is important that students be in each assigned class/classroom on time, allowing teachers and students to begin the educational process without interruption.

The responsibility for ensuring regular attendance rests cooperatively with the student, parents, and school. It should be noted that since some learning experiences cannot be made up, even excused and verified absences might adversely affect a student’s performance.

Definitions

Absence: There are two types of absences: excused and unexcused. Excused absences include: illness (including mental or behavioral health of the student), observance of a religious holiday, death in the immediate family, family emergency, attending a military honors funeral to sound TAPS, other situations beyond the control of the student as determined by the Board, voting pursuant to policy 7:90, Release During School Hours (10 ILCS 5/7-42 and 5/17-15), other circumstances that cause reasonable concern to the parent/guardian for the student’s mental, emotional, or physical health or safety, or other reason as approved by the building principal.

Additionally, a student will be excused for up to 5 days in cases where the student’s parent/guardian is an active-duty member of the uniformed services and has been called to duty for, is on leave from, or has immediately returned from deployment to a combat zone or combat-support postings. The Board of Education, in its discretion, may excuse a student for additional days relative to such leave or deployment. A student and the student’s parent/guardian are responsible for obtaining assignments from the student’s teachers prior to any excused absences and for ensuring that such assignments are completed by the student prior to his or her return to school. All other absences are considered unexcused. Pre-arranged excused absences must be approved by the building principal. Students who are excused from school will be given a reasonable timeframe to make up missed homework and classwork assignments for full credit. The school may require documentation explaining the reason for the student’s absence.

A state ruling requires students must be present for a minimum of 300 minutes in order to count a full day of attendance;150 minutes constitutes one-half day of attendance. Students in attendance less than 150 minutes may be considered absent for the entire day.

Tardy: When a student arrives at class after the starting time, without a valid excuse for being late. Students who have repeated tardiness may have disciplinary consequences assigned to them.

Excessive Absence: The accumulation of more than 10 unverified absences in a school year is considered excessive.

Chronic Absence: Absences that total 10% or more of school days of the most recent academic year, including absences with (excused) and without (unexcused) valid cause, and out-of-school suspensions

Truant: A student who is absent without valid cause, as defined under this Section, from such attendance for more than 1% but less than 5% of the past 180 school days.

Chronic or habitual truant: A student who is absent without valid cause from such attendance for 5% or more of the previous 180 regular attendance days.

Truant minor: A chronic truant to whom supportive services, including prevention, diagnostic, intervention, and remedial services, alternative programs, and other school and community resources have been provided and have failed to result in the cessation of chronic truancy, or have been offered and refused.

Verified Absence: An absence for which third-party documentation is provided that validates the reason for the student’s absence. Third-party documentation is subject to administrative review and approval.

Religious Holidays, Mental Health Days, and 2 hours of release time to vote for students eligible to vote do not require documentation and are considered verified absences.

Verified absences do not count as one of ten parent/guardian unverified absences allowed per year.

Unverified Absence: An absence for which documentation from a third party is not provided to validate the reason for the student’s absence.

Attendance Procedures

Absence: State law mandates that parents/guardians must call the school (the district requests no later than 9:00 a.m.) each and every day that their child is absent from school.

If a call has not been made to the school by 10:00 a.m. on the day of a student’s absence, a school official will call the home to inquire why the student is not at school.

If the parent/guardian cannot be contacted, the student will be required to submit a signed note from the parent/guardian explaining the reason for the absence. Failure to do so shall result in an unexcused absence. Upon request of the parent/guardian, the reason for an absence will be kept confidential.

Appointments: Guardians should avoid appointments scheduled during the school day as much as possible. Elementary and middle school students that need to leave school early, guardians need to contact the office or send a note, prior to the time of pickup, stating the reason and the time the student will be picked up at school. When you arrive at the school, for the safety of your student, please report to the office; we will call the student to the office for you.

Family Vacation: Students are encouraged to be in attendance every day. If a family vacation is planned during the school year, the parent/guardian must complete and submit the Family Vacation Form to the building principal two weeks prior to the vacation start date.

Any approved vacation days that extend beyond the 10 unverified days will be counted as unexcused

Any vacation days not approved count as unexcused absences.

If a vacation is approved, teachers may provide some work in advance of the vacation, work not provided in advance is expected to be made up when the student returns.

For any other student absence, parents/guardians of the student should seek approval by contacting the Building Principal prior to the absence. The student is responsible for all make up work upon return. Immediately after the student’s return to school, he/she must make arrangements with each teacher for missing work.

Diagnostic Procedures for Identifying Student Absences and Support Services to Truant or Chronically Truant Students

The School and District use the following diagnostic procedures for identifying the causes of unexcused absences: Interviews with the student, his or her parent/guardian and any school officials who may have information about the reasons for the student’s attendance problems.

Response to Excessive Absences and Truancy:

Excessive absences: Students with excessive absences may be placed on attendance probation. Once on probation, all subsequent unverified absences will be considered unexcused with a truancy violation administered. Students who accumulate more than 10 unverified absences are considered to have excessive absences.

Truancy: Student attendance is critical to the learning process. Truancy is, therefore, a serious issue and will be dealt with in a serious manner by the school and district.

Students who miss more than 1% but less than 5% of the prior 180 regular school days without valid cause (a recognized excuse) are truant. Students who miss 5% or more of the prior 180 regular school days without valid cause are chronic truants. Students who are truant will be offered support services and resources aimed at correcting the truancy. If chronic truancy persists after support services and other resources are made available, the school and district will take further action including:

Parent conferences

Student counseling

Information about existing community services

Appropriate school discipline

Referral to the truancy office

Reporting to officials under the Juvenile Court Act

Referral to the State’s Attorney

If a student is absent from school for 15 (fifteen) consecutive days for reasons other than verified absences, and if the parent/guardian fails to respond to a notice sent by the school, the student will be removed from the school’s class schedule and the student’s class schedule will not be reserved.

Notices to Guardians/Parents:

A parent or guardian who knowingly and willfully permits a child to be truant is in violation of Illinois State Law.

After 5 days of unexcused absences from school/class, a letter will be sent to the student’s home indicating the school policy and the number of days missed.

After 10 days of unexcused absences from school/class, the student and family will be referred to the truancy office and another letter will be sent home, indicating the severity of the situation.

School personnel shall assist and furnish such information as they have to aid truancy officers in the performance of their duties.