0.5 Student Attendance and Absences

Student Attendance and Absences

Students are expected to arrive at school 5 minutes before school begins each day. The importance of regular attendance is a significant lesson to learn in school. Learning takes place each day in class and these learning experiences can never be duplicated. When a student is not in attendance, they miss a valuable portion of their education.

A K-12 student is considered absent when they are not in school or miss the entire class period. A student will be considered Arrived Late (AL) when they arrive at school or their class period, after it starts. Students who leave school or a class period prior to the scheduled end time and do not return will be considered Left Early (LE).

Is My Child's Absence Excused?

Per State of Michigan guidelines, only absences for homebound instruction (HB), Medical (with a doctor’s note turned in) (MD) and school activities (SA) are considered verified absences.

Procedures for Grades K-12

To ensure accurate attendance records, parents/guardians are responsible for reporting student absences to the school office. If the school is not notified, school personnel may contact the home to verify the student’s absence. All contact will be recorded in the official attendance record.

When a student has accumulated 10 absences, school staff will contact the parent/guardian, may implement school-level interventions, and/or may be referred to the district Attendance Specialist. Before referring the student to the district Attendance Specialist for intervention, the school may send a letter and use the automated robocall system to notify parents/guardians about the student's attendance.

If all efforts fail to correct the attendance concern, the Attendance Specialist may proceed with more intensive intervention including but NOT limited to a referral to Truancy Court with Ingham County 30th District Family Court (for students ages 13-17) and/or a referral to the courts for educational neglect (for students ages 5-12).