ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS

Regular attendance is essential to a student’s success in school. Most subjects are taught in sequence, requiring the understanding of each concept in the order of its presentation. Persistent absenteeism creates a genuine hardship for a student and is regarded as a very serious problem.

The school nurse is located at the Student Service Center (the old Hawk Primary School building). The nurse is responsible for the maintenance of health records, routine health checks, parental contact concerning health problems, care of minor injuries and assistance in health teaching and vision screening. Please be sure to contact the nurse(s) (Mrs. Janet Hutto and/or Mrs. Willene Evans) if your child has any unusual health problems (259-4489).

Starting the 2003-2004 school year the school will accept only five (5) parent notes/phone calls excusing a student due to illness. SIX or MORE student absences will require a doctors note stating specifically why he or she was absent or the absence will be considered un-excused ! A student has one day for each day absent to make up any work if the day or day’s absent are excused as determined by a note/phone call for first five absents, doctors note remainder of year.

All notes will be kept on file in the school office. Students will attend a public or private day school or participate in an approved home study program. Any absence due to contagious disease should be reported to the teacher at once so precautionary measures may be taken for any who have been exposed. A child should be kept at home throughout the duration of an illness.

1. Schools will administer attendance regulations in accordance with state and local adopted policies.

2. Students will be expected to be in attendance every student activity day scheduled by the local educational governing authority.

3. Elementary (K-8) students will attend a minimum of 150 days a school year/387 instructional minutes per day! Exceptions for Kindergarten students may be granted when a parent request that a child be allowed to have additional time to mature at home prior to initial entry and/or need for a child to have additional time at home as recognized by the principal and teacher. This time may be granted by a committee composed of the parent, principal, supervisor of child welfare and attendance and the superintendent or his designee(s). * The new school compulsory attendance age is seventeen.

4. Extenuating circumstances as verified by the Supervisor of Child Welfare and Attendance may result in extended absences if the following conditions(s) are present.

1. Extended personal, physical or emotional illness as verified by a physician.

2. Extended hospital stay as verified by a physician.

3. Extended recuperation from an accident as verified by a physician.

4. Extended contagious disease within a family as verified by a physician.

5. Prior school system approved travel for education

6. Death in the family (not to exceed one week).

7. Natural catastrophe or disaster

5. Students who are verified as meeting extenuating circumstances and therefore eligible to receive grades will not receive those grades if they are unable to complete make-up work or pass the course

CHILD WELFARE AND ATTENDANCE

The Supervisor of Child Welfare and Attendance may visit the residence of a student or any other place in order to ensure that a student is in attendance during the hours of a school day. In the discharge of the duties of their office, visiting teachers or supervisors of child welfare and attendance shall cooperate fully with the State Departments of Public Welfare, Labor, Health and Human Resources, and other state and local agencies. They have the power to serve such writs and process in law relating to compulsory attendance as may be necessary for the enforcement. Violations of the compulsory attendance law shall be investigated, and when necessary, shall include written notice, either in person or by registered mail to the parent, tutor, or person having control or charge of a student within compulsory school and attendance age.

Child Welfare and Attendance

A planned program of child welfare and attendance services shall be provided.

Un-excused Absences

Any unexplained, un-excused, or illegal absence or habitual tardiness shall be reported to the Visiting Teacher and/or Supervisor of Child Welfare and Attendance when necessary.

The Visiting Teacher, Supervisor of Child Welfare and Attendance, Truancy Officer or contact personnel may visit the residence of a student or any other place in order to ensure that a student is in attendance during the hours of a school day.

In the discharge of the duties of their office, Visiting Teacher or Supervisor of Child Welfare and Attendance, shall cooperate fully with the State Department of Public Welfare, Labor, Health and Human Resources (DHHR), and other state and local agencies, and may serve such writs and process in law relating to compulsory attendance as may be necessary for the enforcement.

Violations of the compulsory attendance law shall be investigated, and when necessary, shall include written notice, either in person or by registered mail, to the parent, tutor, or other person having control or charge of a student within the compulsory school attendance as may be necessary for the enforcement.

Parent/Guardian or Tutor Responsibility

This school system shall require that every parent/guardian or tutor of an exceptional student and/or any other student enrolled in the school system shall enforce the attendance regulations.

Administrative Procedures Referring to Attendance Policy

The primary responsibility for a student’s attendance in school rests with the parent/guardians. A state compulsory school attendance law prescribes the requirements of school attendance in the Compulsory School Attendance Law. In compliance with Louisiana Revised Statute 17:221, it is the policy of the Jackson Parish School System to require that a child from the seventh birthday to the eighteenth birthday (unless the child graduates from high school before his eighteenth birthday) attend a public or private school in regularly assigned classes during school hours or participate in an approved home study program. Any student below the age of seven (7), who is legally enrolled in school, is subject to state compulsory school laws. Kindergarten students, once registered, must comply with the Compulsory School

Attendance Law. Louisiana Revised Statute 17:221 allows for the prosecution of the parent or guardian of a child when the child does not comply with the attendance requirements. This law also permits the District Attorney’s Office to monitor truancy. This law applies to all students enrolled in the Jackson Parish School System. Each teacher is responsible for maintaining accurate attendance records.

Levels of Interventions:

I. Three (3) Un-excused Absences

A. Referred to the truancy center by the school. School faxes information regarding absences to the District Attorney’s office (truancy center) and copies the school board.

B. The truancy center begins a file for the child.

C. A letter is sent home from the District Attorney’s Office-truancy division.

II. Five (5) Un-excused Absences

A. The school faxes the second referral to the District Attorney’s Office (truancy center).

B. A second letter is sent to the parent/guardians - Second Truancy Notice.

C. A parent/child conference is scheduled by the truancy center.

1. K-5th - the conference will be held at the school

2. 6^th - 12^th - the conference will be held at the District Attorney’s Office.

III. Eight (8) Un-excused Absences

A. A hearing is scheduled in front of the district judge with the child, parent/guardian and truancy officer present.

B. The child is placed under court order to go to school and give certain consequences for further truancy to be determined by the truancy officer and the judge. The parent and/or guardian is also placed under court order to have the child in school.

C. The truancy center again “flags” the child at school. The truancy center will monitor the child each day.

IV. Eleventh (11^th) Absence and All Subsequent Absences

A. Juvenile Court

1. Child is placed on the docket in juvenile court.

2. The child and parent/guardian are given judicial notice to be in juvenile court.

B. The District Judge will determine punishment at this level.

Credit for course pursued will not be given if attendance goes below parish set level.

Exception can be made only in the event of extenuating circumstances approved in accordance with procedures established by the Jackson Parish School.

If the decision is made collectively by the principal, teacher and Child Welfare and Attendance supervisor, that the student will not receive credit because of excessive days of absence, the parent or guardian may appeal the decision to the Superintendent and the School Board.

Make-Up Work After Absence

Students should know at the beginning of the school year that time limits that have been established for making up work.

Students have the responsibility to secure those lessons and assignments they have missed. However, for students with un-excused absences, neither the teacher nor the school will be responsible for providing make-up tests, lessons, assignments, etc.

The following rule of thumb will be followed as classwork and tests are scheduled for make-up: “for each day absent, the student shall have an equal number of days to make up their classwork, assignments or tests missed.”

Examples of this are as follows:

1 day absent - make-up work will be done the following day

2 days absent - student would have 2 days to makeup the work

3 days absent - student would have 3 days to makeup the work

7 days absent - student would have 7 days to makeup the work

Note: Parent/Guardian notes will be accepted for up to five (5) days absences (total for the year). After five (5) days, a doctors’ note is required.

All work must be made up before the school year ends regardless of dates or the number of days absent, unless extenuating circumstances determined by Child Welfare and Attendance Supervisor exist. All students on disability leave must make arrangements with the school principal to complete expected school work on a designated schedule. Other absences and procedures are referred to in the Jackson Parish School Board Policy Manual and the Jackson Parish Pupil Progression Plan, both may be viewed in the principal's office upon request.

Note: Please refer to the letter from the District Attorney’s Office concerning the new Jackson Parish Truancy Program.

When parents and teachers communicate with each other, the educational growth of children is increased. Parents are encouraged to call to schedule a conference if there are concerns. Please call the school (259-4489) at least one day prior to the parent/teacher conference so that the teacher may have time to arrange her schedule and materials for the conference. No one will be allowed to interrupt the teacher and/or classroom during instructional time! Therefore, I cannot allow anyone to visit with the teacher for a few minutes, to check on how their child is doing in class or peek in on them.