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Attend to Achieve: Attendance Guidelines

A blue logo featuring the text 'We're BETTER When You're HERE.' next to a graduation cap icon.

Attendance Matters – for All Students, in Every School

It's a fact: Students who attend school regularly learn more and are more successful in school than students who do not. Furthermore, children who develop good attendance habits in the early grades will be more likely to continue them throughout their school career and well into their chosen career.

Regular attendance is critically important because students who miss school miss out on carefully planned sequences of instruction, active learning experiences, class participation, and the opportunity to ask questions. As a result, tey are more likely to fall behind and are more likely to drop out.

Ultimately, parents who make regular school attendance a priority are also helping their children learn to accept responsibility: an important lesson for a successful life. 

A young student smiles as he colors on a paper at a desk.

Commit To Attend and Sign The Pledge

* Required

To make sure every child has a fair chance to learn and succeed, no matter their background or situation, we are focused on reducing absences and tackling the reasons why students miss school.

We understand that attendance can be influenced by various factors, such as economic conditions, cultural backgrounds, language barriers, and disabilities. To address these challenges, it is crucial for us to work together to create a welcoming and equitable school environment. By doing so, we can better support students and encourage regular attendance and active learning.

We invite students, families, staff, and community members from all backgrounds to join us in this effort and share their unique perspectives to improve our school community. 

Parent/Guardian will:

  • Support my child’s on-time arrival and regular school attendance
  • Encourage my child’s efforts in reading, writing, and mathematics
  • Listen to my child read almost every day
  • Keep open lines of communication with school staff

Student will:

  • Attend school regularly
  • Work hard and try my best at home and school
  • Ask for help when I need it 

Staff will:

  • Provide a safe, caring environment for learning 
  • Communicate together as a team to support each other
  • Provide opportunities for students, parents, and staff to collaborate for student success 

Keep Students Engaged and Excited About School

  • We’re Better, When You’re Here
    Preschool and Kindergarten students that attend school every day build strong foundations for reading and are more prepared for higher grades!

    A young student focused on writing in a notebook at a school desk.

    These tips can help your child look forward to going to school!

    Connect

    • Find an opportunity to connect with your child’s teacher
    • Create opportunities for your child to connect with older children to play and learn
    • Make sure your child’s teacher and school know the best way to reach you

    Share

    • Get your child excited about learning to read
    • Ask your child questions about their day- What they learned, what they liked and who they connected with

    Nurture

    • Set a standard bedtime routine that allows your child to get at least 10 hours of sleep
    • Set a standard morning routine
    • Schedule non-emergency medical appointments at the start or end of the school day (or during breaks) so your child can receive as much instruction as possible

    The early years of school prepare your child for life-long learning. Join KCKPS in celebrating these milestones!

  • We’re Better, When You’re Here
    Attending school every day helps children feel better about school and themselves.

    A teacher gives a young student a high-five in a bright classroom.

    These tips can help your child look forward to going to school!

    Connect

    • Find an opportunity to connect with your child’s teacher to share more about your child
    • Build connections with other families and school staff by attending school events with your child to create a network of involved parents and caregivers
    • Make sure your child’s teacher and school know the best way to reach you

    Share

    • Ask open-ended questions about your child’s day
    • If your child is anxious about school, find time to connect with their teacher to learn about resources for support
    • Talk about ways that your child can deal with stress like deep breathing and counting.

    Nurture

    • Set a standard bedtime routine that allows your child to get at least 9 hours of sleep
    • Set a standard morning routine that allows your child to be independent
    • Schedule non-emergency medical appointments at the start or end of the school day (or during breaks) so your child can receive as much instruction as possible

    Daily Attendance prepares your child for life-long learning. Join KCKPS in celebrating these milestones!

  • We’re Better, When You’re Here
    Missing no more than 9 days each year helps students stay engaged, successful, and on track to graduate.

    A young student stands and speaks in a classroom while holding a paper, with classmates listening attentively.

    These tips can help your child look forward to going to school!

    Connect

    • Find trusted friends and family to mentor your child and encourage regular school attendance
    • Make sure they have a homework buddy to keep them focused on their schoolwork
    • Ensure that the school has the most up-to-date contact information.

    Share

    • Use the Give Me Five format to ask your child about their day
    • What did you have for lunch?
    • What did you learn?
    • Who did you connect with?
    • What is something interesting that happened?
    • What upcoming quizzes/tests or projects do you have?

    Nurture

    • Help your child create a standard bedtime and morning routine they can follow independently
    • Encourage your child to develop their non-academic skills by joining after school clubs or sports
    • Create quiet time and space daily for your child to complete homework assignments and projects.

    Good attendance is an important life skill. Join KCKPS in celebrating good attendance!

Student Absences and Truancy

Definitions
The following are definitions of key terms related to the types of student absences and truancy. 

  • Excused absences are absences that both the school and the parent/guardian approve.

    Acceptable absences include:

    • Illness of the student and/or medical appointments
    • Urgent need of the child to be at home due to illness in the immediate family
    • Death in the family
    • Religious observances
    • Participation in a district-approved or school-sponsored activity or event
    • Students whose parent or person acting as a parent, is an active-duty member of the armed forces and is leaving or deploying shortly for military services. (Excused at the discretion of the administration)
    • Absences approved by the principal and prearranged by the parent, student, and principal 
    • Absences approved by the principal and prearranged by the parent, student, and Director of Student Support Programs

  • We understand that occasional absences can happen and we’re committed to supporting each student's success. It's important to be aware that regular attendance plays a significant role in long-term academic achievement and personal growth. While absences, including those approved in advance, do count towards attendance records, our goal is to work together to minimize disruptions. For instance, students who miss just 2 days a month can be at risk of falling behind, which can impact their future opportunities. By staying engaged and maintaining regular attendance, students are more likely to thrive both academically and personally. We are here to help and encourage every student to reach their full potential!

    Missing 10% or more of school for ANY REASON = Chronic Absenteeism.

  • A student absence is unexcused when the absence does not qualify under one of the excused absence definitions approved by the Board of Education. An absence will be classified as unexcused If it does not fit one of the Board of Education's eight reasons (Policy JBD) or fails to comply with the district's procedures and the State Compulsory Attendance Laws. Examples of an unexcused absence, include, but are not limited to:

    • Missed Bus
    • No Transportation
    • Out-of-Town
    • Vacations
    • Babysitting
    • Work

    The Principal can request documentation in order to excuse an absence for any chronically absent student.

  • Accumulated tardiness to school will result in an unexcused absence defined by Kansas State statute. First hour tardies, or tardies that occur in the first period of the day, count towards a students’ truancy count for unexcused absences. 

    7 first hour tardies = 1 unexcused absence

    If a student misses two or more hours of the school day, the school staff will ask to meet with the student and parent/guardian.

  • According to Kansas State law, a student is truant if they are absent without an approved excuse. Kansas law states parents are responsible for getting their child to school regularly. If a student becomes truant, the parents/guardians are in direct violation of the state law and will be subject to court proceedings.

    A student become truant when they accumulate:

    • 3 unexcused absences in a row,
    • 5 unexcused absences in a school semester, or
    • 7 unexcused absences in a school year.

    How to Avoid Truancy

    1. Report Absences: To ensure accurate attendance, please notify the school before 9:30 a.m. if your child is absent. You can now report absences through the Parent Portal for added convenience. Simply log in, click on the Absence Request Button, enter the details, and submit.
      • Students who are absent without a parent’s or guardian’s excuse may have their absence marked as unexcused, which could lead to truancy concerns.
    2. Doctor’s Appointments: The school encourages parents to schedule doctor and dental appointments after school hours.
      • If a student has excessive absences due to health, parents or guardians may need to provide supporting documentation to excuse the absences. 
    3. Requests to Leave School: Parents or guardians must notify the Front Office if their child needs to leave for an appointment. To have the absence considered excused, parents or guardians must check out the student through the Front Office. Students who leave school without prior parental consent and without checking out through the office will have their absences marked as unexcused.
    4. School Activities:  Students who take part in school-sponsored athletic and academic events are proudly representing their school and are not marked absent (except during summer school). To fully benefit from their educational experience, they should make up any missed assignments and attend school on the day of the activity to remain eligible for participation.
    5. Withdrawal for Non-Attendance: Before a student is withdrawn for non-attendance, we will use a variety of supportive strategies to address the issue. We will document all efforts, including phone calls, home visits, and written communications. Our goal is to work closely with families to find solutions and support the student’s continued success. If needed, we will also follow legal requirements by reporting any cases of abuse or neglect to the Division of Youth Services. Our commitment is to provide the best support and resources to help every student thrive.

    Truancy Process for the 2024-2025 School Year

    Student's Attendance Status Resulting Action
    Unexcused Absence
    1. Robo Calls
    Student Meets Truancy Criteria (3, 5, 7)
    1. Attendance Secretary Mails Letter
    Student Qualifies as Truant
    1. Attendance Intervention & Attendance Plan Complete
    Student Acquires Additional Absences
    1. Attendance Secretary Refers to AtoA
    2. Truancy Court Prevention Support (TCPS) Required
    Student Acquires Additional Absences or Fails to Complete TCPS
    1. AtoA refers to District Attorney
    2. AtoA updates Student's School

     

    Parent/Guardian Contact should be occurring throughout this process.

    Note: At any point IF the student does not accumulate additional absences, THEN the student is in good standing.

    Truancy Court Prevention Support (TCPS):
    Truancy Court Prevention Support (or TCPS) is a class that is designed to connect families to resources to support their student(s) regarding their truancy. This is provided as one last intervention to avoid Truancy court with the DA’s office.

    Families are referred to TCPS when prior school-level attendance interventions—such as Attendance Plans, robo calls, truancy letters, and direct communication—have not resulted in improved attendance, or when additional unexcused absences occur after a plan has been created. At that point, the case escalates to the district-level intervention of TCPS.

    Class are held most Wednesdays, at Carl Bruce Middle School: 2100 N 18th St, Kansas City, KS 66104