Attendance Matters
Showing up for school has a huge impact on a student’s academic success starting in Kindergarten and continuing through high school. Even as children grow older and more independent, families play a key role in making sure students get to school safely every day and understand why attendance is so important for success in school and in life.
We realize some absences are unavoidable due to health problems or other circumstances. But, we also know that when students miss too much school— regardless of the reason – it can cause them to fall behind academically. Your child is less likely to succeed if they are chronically absent—which means missing 18 or more days over the course of an entire school year.
Research shows:
- Children chronically absent in kindergarten and 1st grade are much less likely to read at grade level by the end of 3rd grade.
- By 6th grade, chronic absence is a proven early warning sign for students at risk of dropping out of school.
- By 9th grade, good attendance can predict graduation rates even better than 8th-grade test scores.
Absences can add up quickly. A child is chronically absent if he or she misses just two days every month!!
Tips to Prevent Chronic Absenteeism
- Ensure that your student attends school every day and arrives on time.
- Familiarize yourself with the Attendance Guidelines.
- Access Infinite Campus to keep track of your student’s attendance.
- Save your student’s School Schedule and the District Calendar in a spot that is easy to remember and quick to access.
- Support your student at home with some of these practical tips:
- Make sure your children keep a regular bedtime and establish a morning routine.
- Lay out clothes and pack backpacks the night before.
- Ensure your children go to school every day unless they are truly sick.
- Avoid scheduling vacations or doctor’s appointments when school is in session.
- Talk to teachers and counselors for advice if your children feel anxious about going to school.
- Develop back up plans for getting to school if something comes up. Call on a family member, neighbor, or another parent to take your child to school.
Checking your child's attendance
Parents/Guardians can log into Infinite Campus to view their child's attendance. For additional support please visit Infinite Campus.
What to do if my child is going to be absent?
- Parents must notify the student’s school within 24 hours to excuse an absence.
- Parents can now use Infinite Campus to log absences. Login to your my parent portal to submit an absence on your child's behalf.
- The Principal can request documentation in order to excuse an absence for any chronically absent student.
- Additionally, it is the student’s responsibility to obtain make-up assignments from teachers following an excused or unexcused absence. For parents of elementary-age students, please follow up with your student’s teacher and you can begin reminding your student as well.
What is an Excused Absence? The Board of Education defines these as absences due to:
- Illness of the student or medical appointments
- Urgent need of the child to be at home due to illness in the immediate family
- Death in the family
- Absences for 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 30 the parent, student, and principal
- Absences approved by the principal and prearranged by the parent, student, and Director of Student Support Programs
Examples of an unexcused absence include but are not limited to the following:
- Missed Bus
- No Transportation
- Out-of-Town
- Vacations
- Babysitting
- Others not listed on the excused absence list
What is Truancy?
According to the Kansas State law, a student is considered truant when they have:
- 3 unexcused absences in a row
- 5 unexcused absences in a semester, or
- 7 unexcused absences in a school year.
- Tardies:
7 Tardies = 1 Unexcused Absence
Accumulated tardiness to school will result in an unexcused absence as defined by the Kansas statute (Code Section: 72-1111, et seq.) when a child is inexcusably absent from school a significant part of the school day. If a student misses two or more hours of the school day, which shall include required conferences or detention periods; this shall be considered a significant part of the day. Seven (7) unexcused first-hour tardies equal one (1) unexcused absence. For secondary, tardies accumulated throughout the day do not count towards unexcused absences but do count for your student’s chronic absenteeism rate. Check with your school’s Principal for any discrepancies.
