Attendance Policy

If you’d like to learn more, review the detailed information below

Absences

Parents must report every absence by calling the school office before 8:00 AM. Provide the student’s name and grade level, and our office staff will handle the rest. Regular attendance and punctuality are essential for your child’s success. Students should attend class daily and arrive on time to fully benefit from their education. Active participation ensures the best learning environment for everyone. This policy encourages good attendance habits and minimizes tardiness, aiming to maximize learning opportunities. Attendance is a shared responsibility between parents and students. Under Arizona law (ARS 15-803), students under 16 must attend school. To pass, students must maintain regular attendance. Missing more than 4.5 days per quarter may impact academic progress, potentially leading to a lower grade or retention. By prioritizing consistent attendance and punctuality, you can help your child achieve their full potential.

Excused Absences

Illness: Submit a doctor’s or parent note explaining the absence for your student’s attendance file.
Medical appointments or treatments: Provide a doctor’s note for the attendance file.
Religious holidays: Submit a parent note for the attendance file.
Death: Provide a parent note for the attendance file.
Personal or family emergency: Submit a parent note for the attendance file.

Unexcused Absences

Family vacations.
Non-Medical appointments.
Babysitting.
Absence for any other reason that does not meet the criteria of an excused absence.
A student who is absent from school without notice.

Early Release

Please schedule appointments after 3:15 p.m. to avoid early dismissal. If your student must leave school early for a doctor’s appointment, dental visit, or other unavoidable emergency, follow these steps:

Parent/Guardian will need to send a handwritten note to school (or call the school) that states the student’s first and last name, date and time of release, and the reason for the early dismissal. The student is to bring this note to the office before school begins.
All students must be signed out by a parent/guardian (or someone designated by the parent/guardian on the emergency card) in the office before leaving the building.
The written note will be kept in the students attendance file.

Tardiness

Being on time is a life skill important to each student’s future, and schools share the responsibility to teach the importance of this skill. Tardiness of individual students interrupts instructional time for all students. Promptness to class allows the teachers to begin the instruction on time for everyone. Tardiness to class is defined as not being physically in the room at 8:00 am.

Three tardies is equal to 1 unexcused absence
Three unexcused absences due to tardiness will result in a 7:00 am detention on the following school day.
If tardiness continues suspension from school will be at the discretion of the administration.

Student’s Responsibilities

To attend school daily, on time and participate fully. The student who has been absent has the responsibility for securing and completing make-up assignments. The class work must be made up within a specific time period equaling one day make-up per one day absence. In case of a pre-arranged absence, the class work is due the day the student returns to school. All work not made up within the time limit will be graded zero.

Administrator’s Responsibilities

To review the attendance of students and to contact parent/guardian when a student has excessive absences.
To take appropriate steps, to insure that students attend school in a timely manner on a regular basis.
5 (five) absences: Parents will be notified of days absent and reminded of the need for regular attendance by letter or telephone.
10 (ten) absences: A mandatory meeting with parents and principals will be held to develop an intervention plan regarding attendance. The intervention plan will be pro-active and problem solving in nature.
18 (eighteen) absences could result in retention (4.5 per quarter).