Attendance Policy

1. REQUIRED ATTENDANCE: (NYS Education Law): Daily attendance will be taken by every homeroom teacher, since the NYS Education Law requires students to be in attendance. The classroom teacher is requred to take attendance each class period.

2. STUDENT ATTENDANCE/EXCUSES: It is compulsory for all students to attend school regularly, except in cases of illness, illness or death in the family, impassable roads, religious observance, health treatment, approved work programs, approved college visits, military obligations, quarantine or other such reasons as may be approved by the Board of Education. Absence for any other reason is illegal and is recorded on the student's permanent record. It is expected that families plan their vacations n conjunction with the school calendar. Absences for vacations are considered illegal. Excessive illegal absences constitute educational neglect and could result in legal actions, such as Persons in Need of Supervision Petitions (PINS) and Family Court proceeding. Chronic tardiness is also unacceptable and constitutes educational neglect. A written statement of the reason for absences (or tardiness) is required upon a student's return to school. This note is required even if the home was contacted during a student's absence.

3. SIGNING OUT OR INTO SCHOOL: Students arriving late or leaving early MUST HAVE A PARENT PERMISSION SLIP and submit it to the attendance officer. Students who arrive late to school will receive a lunch detention. We cannot accept student writting permission slips. To achieve your best in school, regular attendance is necessary. The legality of an excuse does not apply to course/attendance policy or participation in extra-curricular activities.

4. ATTENDANCE PROCEDURE FOR COURSE CREDIT: An absence means that a student did not attend class regardless of the reason for not being there. Students must attend each class at least 85% of the total number of periods it is in session in order to attain credit. For example: Full-year courses that meet 5 periods per week, no credit on the 28th absence; half year courses the meet 5 periods per week, no credit on the 14th absence. When a student exceeds the 15% limitations for a particular course and is, therefore, ineligible to receive credit for that course, the student will be given two (2) options: A. The student may remain in the course for the rest of the year. For the student who decides to remain in class, it is his/her responsibility to behave appropriately and participate. Based on teacher recommendation, the student will be eligible to repeat the course in summer school if it is offered or repeat the course in its entirety. B. The student may choose to drop the course at the time he/she is notified that the absnece limitation has been met. C. A student who has been denied credit due to excessive absence has the right to due process to appeal this decision. All appeals must be in writing and submitted to the building principal within ten (10) calendar days from the receipt of notification at each stage of the appeal process. A committee made up of two members of the teaching staff who are not teachers of the student, the guidance counselor, the school nurse, and the building principal will act on the appeal. The committee will defer to the principal to deny credit or grant waiver. The superintendent will conduct a hearing according to law 3214(3) and render a decision. The Board of Education has the final authority.