Selma Elementary Attendance Policy
(Updated 6/7/24)
ATTENDANCE POLICY
Liberty-Perry Schools believes that students must be punctual and present every day. A positive correlation exists between learning and attendance. A day lost in the classroom can never be retrieved or duplicated. The purpose of this policy is to increase academic learning by discouraging absenteeism. During the 2024 General Assembly, SEA 282 was enacted, which amended the attendance requirements for Indiana students in grades K-6. Liberty-Perry Schools has updated its attendance policy in compliance with SEA 282, which takes effect July 1, 2024.
Compulsory Attendance
Parents/guardians are responsible for their child’s school attendance. It is unlawful for a parent to fail, neglect, or refuse to send his/her child to a public school for the full term as required under this chapter unless the child is provided with instruction equivalent to that given in public schools. This section does not apply during any period when the child is excused from attendance under this chapter. Penalty: A person who knowingly violates this chapter commits a Class B Misdemeanor. Reference: Indiana Code 20-8.1-3-34 and 20-8.1-3-37.
Attendance Procedures for Parents and Students
All students' absences need to be reported to the school office by parents or guardians by 9:00 a.m. on the day of the absence to state the nature of the absence. Absences will be EXCUSED if the school is notified before 9:00 a.m. and the nature of the absence qualifies as an excused absence as listed below. If the parent or guardian does not contact the school that day or calls after 9:00 a.m., it will be considered an UNEXCUSED absence.
Excused Absences
A student will be allowed a maximum of NINE parent/guardian excused absences per school year. Personal illness excused by a physician's written note will not be counted toward the nine parent/guardian excused absences. After the maximum of nine parent/guardian excused absences, all following absences that year will be counted as unexcused without documentation. The following circumstances are considered excused absences:
Personal illness (verified by a parent by 9:00 a.m.)
Death or serious illness of an immediate family member
Student legal appointments or court hearings. (Every effort should be made to schedule appointments outside of school hours.)
Religious observance when approved in advance.
Head lice (first day only)
Suspensions from school
Other reasons excused by the administration
Documented Absences
Any absence with medical documentation from a licensed doctor, dentist, orthodontist, therapist, or other medical professionals
Illness that requires the school nurse or administration to send a student home for the day (This applies ONLY to the first full day absent.)
After the accumulation of NINE Documented Absences in a semester, parents may be required to provide a Certificate of Incapacity signed by a medical professional
Unexcused Absences
Any absence without medical documentation after the maximum of nine parent/guardian excused absences per school year
Vacations during school time are unexcused. Parents/guardians are advised to plan family activities when school is not in session.
Truancy
Any absence not reported to the school office by parent/guardians by 9:00 a.m. on the day of the absence
Head lice after the first day
Absences due to missing the bus, oversleeping, alarm clock malfunctions, car trouble, etc. that cause the student to arrive at school after 8:30 a.m.
Other reasons not noted as excused or documented
Tardies
The school day begins at 8:10 a.m. and students are expected to be in their classrooms at this time. Any student entering the building after 8:10 a.m. and up until 8:40 a.m. will be considered TARDY. The parent/guardian must sign the student in at the office when they arrive after 8:40 a.m.
Five tardies will equal one day of unexcused absence. Students who arrive between 8:40 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. will be considered to have a ½ day absence. Students who arrive at school after 11:30 a.m. will be considered to have a full day absence. Any student accumulating ten (10) tardies per semester may be referred to DCS, Department of Child Services, for possible educational neglect. Every tardy, after the tenth, may result in another referral to DCS. Students with excessive tardies may also be required to serve detention to complete the work they miss.
Early Release
Students who need to leave school between 2:10 p.m. and 2:40 p.m. will be granted an Early Release. A parent or guardian must sign the student out in the office. Five Early Releases will equal one day of unexcused absence. Students who leave school between 11:30 a.m. and 2:10 p.m. will be counted as being half-day absent.
Release Time
During the school day, there is a 2-hour block of time that may be used for a medical appointment. This can be at the beginning or end of a school day. Proof of an appointment must be provided upon the student’s return to school. There is no penalty toward a student’s attendance for release time.
Makeup Work
Students may make up academic assignments missed in class due to an absence. It is the student’s responsibility to make up the missed assignments. As a rule, the absent student will have the same number of days to make up missed assignments as the length of the absence. If the missing assignments are not completed in the appropriate number of days, they can be counted as zeros. During out-of-school suspensions, students are still expected to complete any homework assignments missed during their suspension. To receive credit, assignments must be turned in within a reasonable amount of time as communicated by the teacher. Suspended students will also be permitted to make up tests, quizzes, and major projects. The student will initiate the need to make up all work. In most cases, the test, quiz, and/or major project will be made up the day the student returns.
Attendance for Extra-Curricular Activities
Students must be in attendance on the day of an extracurricular activity. If the student goes home ill from school, he/she is ineligible to attend or participate in any events scheduled that day. Students are not permitted to be on school property or attend any school-related activities during the days that they are serving an out-of-school suspension.
Excessive Absences
A maximum of NINE (9) days will be excused per school year by the parent/guardian. After that, all days will be unexcused unless appropriate documentation is provided within 2 days of the student’s return to school.
All absences will be considered documented when medical documentation is given within 2 days of return to school.
A total of five (5) tardies will be considered a 1-day unexcused absence.
A total of five (5) early releases will be considered a 1-day unexcused absence.
If a student accumulates five (5) unexcused absences from school within a ten (10) week period (Reference: IC 20-33-2.5);
Parents/guardians will be notified by letter,
an attendance conference will be scheduled with school administration, and
an attendance contract may be put in place.
Additionally, if a student meets the requirements of a habitual truant (10 unexcused absences in a school year),
School administration is required to report the student to an intake officer of the juvenile court or the Department of Child Services in accordance with IC 20-33-2-25
Juvenile court may determine that the student is committing a delinquent act as provided under IC 21-37-2-3, and
The Parent/guardian of the student may be subject to prosecution under IC 31-37-2-3.
A total of ten (10) tardies may result in a report to DCS.
If a student accumulates nine (9) or more absences of any kind per semester, the student will be considered chronically absent. Parents/guardians will be notified by letter, and the school administration may request a meeting. The transfer status of students could be affected for chronically absent students.