ATTENDANCE
School attendance is essential for maximum success. Parents/guardians are responsible for providing excuses for each day that a student is absent from school.
Excused Absence
After an absence, parents/guardians must provide an excuse or doctor’s note to the office within three school days or the absence will be changed to an unexcused absence. After 6 excused absences a doctor’s note will be required.
“Excused” absences include the absence of a student for the following reasons:
- Illness
- Quarantine
- Death in the immediate family
- Impassable roads
- Pre-approved observance of religious holidays
Unexcused Absence
Students have 3 school days to turn in an excuse for absence from school. A “warning letter of concern” will be mailed home after the 3rd unexcused absence from school. This letter advises the parents of the Compulsory Attendance Laws of PA. A letter to attend a Student Attendance Improvement Plan (SAIP) will be sent after the 6th unexcused absence from school. The SAIP meeting will develop an agreed-upon plan to improve student attendance
If unexcused absences continue following the SAIP conference, a letter will be forwarded to the local District Magistrate’s office.
ATTENDANCE -TARDINESS
Tardiness - Excused
A student who arrives late to school and has turned in a note from a parent, doctor, or legal professional within three days of the tardy will be marked as “Excused Tardy”. If a total of ten (10) instances of tardiness occur a letter will be sent home notifying the parents.
Tardiness - Unexcused
Students arriving to homeroom after 7:35 a.m. without a signed note from a parent or medical professional will be marked “Unexcused Tardy”.
- Students will receive a “warning” for the first 3 times they are Unexcused Tardy to school. A letter will be sent home notifying parents.
- Upon the 5th unexcused tardy students will receive a letter notifying them of future disciplinary actions
- Students may receive a detention on sixth unexcused tardy and subsequent Unexcused Tardy to school.
- Students and Parents will be required to attend a Student Attendance Improvement Plan conference with Administration and Lackawanna County
Abington Heights Middle School
Attendance/Absences/Tardiness Flowchart
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First and Second Unlawful Absence
Student is absent(absence is considered unlawful until Abington Heights School District receives a written excuse). Parents are notified by AHSD of unlawful absences. Board policy requires excuses to be returned within 3 days of absence, otherwise the excuse will be considered unlawful
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Third Unlawful Absence
Parents are sent (via US Mail) a third notice by AHSD of unlawful absence. AHSD coordinated a School Attendance Improvement Plan(SAIP conference. The purpose of the SAIP meeting is to identify and resolve attendance issues and to offer appropriate support. A referral is made to the Lackawanna County office of Youth and Family Services . If there are no subsequent unlawful absences, no further action is needed
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Subsequent Unlawful Absences
If there are subsequent unlawful absences after a SAIP has been implemented, regardless of the parent participation in the SAIP meeting, an additional referral will be made toLackawanna County office of Youth and Family Services and a citation will be filed with magisterial district judge. If a child continues to be unlawfully absent, AHSD will fill citations with the magisterial judge and submit referrals to Lackawanna County office of Youth and Family Services on a weekly basis
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10+ absences
A maximum of ten days of cumulative lawful absences verified by a parental/medical excuse may be permitted during a school year. For all absences beyond 10 days, regardless of a reason. AHSD requires an excuse from a physician.
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Tardiness
Excessive tardiness minutes will be accumulated and considered as unlawful absences.Students chronically late to school will be referred to Lackawanna County office of Youth and Family Services and the local magistrate for failure to comply with the attendance policy
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