Attendance Policies

When your Student is Absent or Must Leave School or Will be Coming In Late

When a student is absent from school for all or part of a day, a parent or guardian must call the school (815-479-0404 ext. 105) on that day or before if the student will be leaving school, and report the reason for the absence.  Our Attendance Hotline is available 24 hours a day.  Calling well in advance of your students scheduled absence is extremely helpful to our staff.

Your Student will pick up a passport from Mrs. Brown in the Dean’s office prior to leaving. That passport will allow your student to leave class to come to the Dean’s office to sign out and leave the building.

Doctor, Dental, College or Court appointments require an appointment confirmation note for the absence to be excused. If a reason for absence is not given, the absence will be treated as unexcused.

Remember to speak clearly when you leave your message.

•Attendance

Community High School District 155 considers attendance in class to be a crucial component of a student's education in high school. As such, attendance constitutes part of the academic program in the district and is an important part of a student's academic performance. When a student is absent for all or part of a day, a parent or guardian must call the school on that day and report the reason for the absence.   The call must be made each day of the absence. Students will be allowed SIX days of absence without question, per semester, provided there is a call from a parent. (Note: absences that are valid and accompanied by supporting documentation are not counted toward the six days of absence.)  Counting of these days starts over at the beginning of each semester. Absences without a parent call within 24 hours of the absence will be recorded as cuts.  There will be no make-up privileges provided for classes that are cut.  Detentions will be assigned for class cutting.  Three (3) cuts to any class will result in the student being removed from the class with a WF.

Absences will be EXCUSED only for the following VALID reasons:

1. Illness.  A doctor’s statement may be required for repeated or extended absences.
2. Observance of a religious holiday.*
3. Serious illness or death in the immediate family, or family emergency.
4. School-related activities such as field trips, music tours, or participation in athletic contests.
5. Scheduled family vacation if cleared with a dean at least one week in advance of the day of departure.
6. Doctor/Dentist appointments, if cleared in advance and verified by doctor’s note/receipt specifying date and time.
7. College visitation days.  A maximum total of two days may be allowed during the junior or senior years.  Proof of visitations (literature or note signed and dated by the registrar or advisor) is to be presented to the attendance office upon return to school.
8. Required court appearances verified by a parent and court documentation.
9. Emergencies as approved by the principal, vice-principal, or dean.
10. Such other circumstances which cause reasonable concern to the parent for the safety or health of the student.  Parents seeking excusal of their student for this reason must provide verification to the principal, vice principal, or dean.

* The parent(s)/guardian(s) must give written notice to the District five (5) days before the student’s anticipated absence. It shall be the responsibility of the teacher and administrators to make available to each student who is absent from school because of a religious observance an equivalent opportunity to make up any examination, study or work requirements that she/he had missed because of such absence on any particular day.

Students will retain make-up privileges for missed work and assignments only if the school excuses the absences.  Under the Illinois School Code, the school determines whether an absence is 

                  1.       An EXCUSED absence,

                  2.       A TRUANT absence, or

                  3.    A CUT absence.

Work missed due to TRUANT absences or CUT absences may not be made up.

If the parent or guardian repeatedly fails to notify the school the day of a student's absence, it will be assumed that the absence is a CUT, and the cut procedure will be enacted.                 

Any student who leaves school without permission from school personnel will not be excused. Single- or multiple-period absences during the school day, which are not excused in advance, shall be considered CUTS, and the cut procedure will be followed.

Once the student has accumulated six absences without supporting documentation, the student will be brought up at the weekly SST meeting and contact will be made with the parent by either the Nurse, Guidance Counselor, or Social Worker.  The purpose of this contact is to ascertain the reason for absence (medical, mental health, or behavioral) so that the appropriate staff member (Nurse, Social Worker or Guidance Counselor, or Dean) can manage the case. 

Additionally the staff member will explain that one of the ABOVE conditions  (SEE “EXCUSED” ABSENCES) must be met and that appropriate documentation must be supplied or future absence will be considered ‘Truant’.

The seventh day of absence without a valid EXCUSED ABSENCE will be considered Truancy #1.

• A letter will be sent home detailing the attendance policy (certified mail)
• No make-up work allowed for class/classes missed

The eighth day of absence without a valid EXCUSED ABSENCE will be considered Truancy #2.

• Parent contact made via phone by school personnel
• Parent/student/Guidance Counselor/Nurse/Social Worker/Dean meeting at school
• A letter will be sent home detailing the attendance policy (certified mail)
• Individual conference with student and Guidance Counselor/Social Worker/Nurse
• No make-up work allowed for class/classes missed

The ninth day of absence without a valid EXCUSED ABSENCE will be considered Truancy #3.

• Home visit made by school personnel
• A letter will be sent home detailing the consequences of the next absence (certified mail)
• No make-up work allowed for class/classes missed

The tenth day of absence without a valid EXCUSED ABSENCE will be considered Truancy #4.

• Considered cut #1
• Detention assigned
• Phone contact from school personnel
• Commons study hall privileges revoked-if applicable
• No make-up work allowed for class/classes missed

The eleventh day of absence without a valid EXCUSED ABSENCE will be considered Truancy #5.

• Considered cut #2
• Parent/student/Dean/Guidance Counselor/Social Worker/Nurse meeting at school specifically detailing that the next step in the attendance procedure will be student withdrawal from class/classes.
• Detention assigned
• No make-up work allowed for class/classes missed

The twelfth day of absence without a valid EXCUSED ABSENCE will be considered Truancy #6.

• Considered cut #3
• Parent contacted by school personnel
• Student will be denied the ability to earn academic credit from class/classes

The fifteenth day without a valid EXCUSED ABSENCE  may result in the situation being referred to the Regional Superintendents Office and truancy being filed if the student is under 17 years of age. Please see the attached Truancy Referral Form from the Regional Superintendents Office. The fifteenth day without a valid cause is also the 9th day of unexcused absence. Nine days of unexcused absences are required prior to processing a referral with the Regional Superintendents Office.

A total of 12 days missed = 13% of an eighteen week semester.

**Counting of these days starts over at the beginning of each semester**

•Truancy

As required by law, the District has adopted policies that identify the appropriate supportive services and available resources that are provided for truants or chronic truants. A chronic or habitual truant is a child subject to compulsory attendance laws who is absent without valid cause from school for 10 percent of more of the previous 180 regular attendance days. 105 ILCS 5/26-2a.  Disciplinary action related to truancy may be taken, provided, however, that no student shall be subject to punitive action for chronic and habitual truancy, as that term is defined in the Illinois School Code, unless available supportive services and other school resources have been provided to the student.  For more information, please refer to the District’s Board Policy 4120.

•Class Cut Procedure

Students must attend all assigned class periods including study hall. Class cutting will result in the loss of make-up privileges.  A student who cuts a class three times will be dropped from that class for the remainder of the term, receive no credit, received a grade of WF on the grade card and an "F" will be factored into the GPA unless the student successfully retakes the class. When dropped from a class, the student will be assigned to a study hall during that period. Appropriate disciplinary action will be taken which may include suspension from school.

•Tardies

Punctuality is a trait which a good school citizen exhibits each day. Students must be in their chairs and ready to study when the tardy bell rings in order to be considered on time. Repeated tardies will result in appropriate disciplinary action such as after school detention, Friday/Saturday detention, disciplinary step, suspension, and/or removal from class.              

•Passport to leave school early

On rare occasions, a student may need to leave school early.  Appointments should be made when the student is not in school.  However, if a student needs to be excused from school for only part of the day, the parent must call the school before the student leaves. 

A student leaving school early must go to the dean's office and sign out. Returning students must sign back in at the same office.  Students who leave without administrative approval will be subject to disciplinary action.

•Vacations

Each student should be aware of all school vacations.  Whenever possible, visits, trips, appointments, etc., should be scheduled on vacation time or the weekends.  The Winter Break and Spring Break are the two long vacations each year. Normal school activities and routine will be held the last day before the vacation begins and immediately after returning to school. It is very important not to miss these days. A vacation form must be filed one week in advance of departure with the dean if family vacations are to be taken during the school year. Students failing to follow this procedure will forfeit make-up privileges that may be available.  Pursuant to District Board Policy 4115, when a student is absent due to family vacation, the full responsibility for academic progress is that of the student and the parents. Teachers will not be responsible for tutoring or providing makeup privileges; however, makeup tests and assignments may be obtained from the teacher at the teacher's convenience.