Attendance Policies
Attendance Information
Absence phone number: (847) 526-7100. For questions regarding your students attendance contact: Ms. Amanda Ochoa, Attendance Secretary, at 847-526-7100.
Philosophy
This district's educational program is built on the premise that regular attendance is vital to a student's success in school. Seeing that a student maintains regular attendance requires a cooperative effort by the student, parent(s) or guardian(s) and school personnel. The student who is frequently absent misses social interaction, class instruction and discussion, even though written work is made up.
Expectations
This district expects parents or guardians to make reasonable efforts to ensure the regular attendance of their children, consistent with Section 26- 1 of the Illinois School Code, and to inform the school of any absences and their causes. The district expects schools to monitor each student's attendance and inform parents or guardians of any attendance problems.
Procedures for Reporting Student Absences
When a student cannot attend school or must leave school during the day, the parent or guardian should call the school office
at (847) 526-7100.
The Automated Attendance system may be accessed at any time, 24 hours a day, to report student absences or to arrange for students to enter school late or leave early due to illness or appointments.
Absences should be reported before school begins and the student's name, the reason for the absence, and a number where the parent or guardian can be reached should be reported.
The telephone call will suffice as proper notification of the absence. When the call is made, the student's name will be posted on an absence list which will be distributed to all teachers. This list will serve as the student's admission to class. The determination of whether an absence is excused or unexcused will be made by the building administrator.
If a parent fails to call or can't call, the student’s absence will be considered unexcused until the Attendance Office receives a call or a note from a parent. When a student is tardy to school, they must report to the Office and sign in upon arriving to receive a tardy slip.
Excused Absences
This district, in keeping with Section 26-2a of the Illinois School Code, considers the following circumstances to be valid causes for a student's absence:
Illness, including the mental or behavioral health of the student, which necessitates staying home
Observance of a religious holiday
Death in the immediate family
Family emergency
Circumstances which cause reasonable concern to the parent or guardian for the mental, emotional, or physical health or safety or health of the student
When a student is absent due to the observance of a religious holiday, the parent/guardian should notify the Attendance Office of the planned absence by written note or phone call prior to the absence.
Unexcused Absences
The school reserves the right to determine if an absence is excused or unexcused in all situations. For unexcused absences, at minimum, the school shall meet with the student, his or her parent or guardian, and any school officials who may have information about the reasons for the student's attendance problem. The following reasons for absence cannot be considered justifiable or excusable:
Truancy from school.
Trips not approved in advance by the principal or other administrator.
Skip days.
Shopping with parents.
Gainful employment (except Cooperative Education students).
Hunting, fishing, and other recreational pursuits.
Oversleeping.
Vehicle transportation problems encountered (examples: missing the bus, car starting problems, flat tire, driving into a ditch, etc.).
Failure to follow appropriate school procedures concerning absence and checking in and out of school.
Chronic Absences/Truancy
RESOURCES AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES
The following resources and supportive services may be available to students with attendance problems and their parents or guardians:
● Conference with school personnel
● Counseling services of school counselors, social workers, and psychologists
● Testing by school psychologists and special education personnel
● Schedule or program changes
● Placement in alternative educational programs
● Special education assessment and placement
● Referral to community agencies for appropriate services
Referral of Chronic Truants
Schools in this district will refer chronic truants to the Lake County Educational Service Region (Project Pass) in accordance with current procedures established by the Lake County Truant Officer. A representative of Project Pass will contact you. They will at that point sit down with your child and discuss the reasons why they are being tardy or late for school.