School Closings & Snow Day Learning Program

arriving late is to check in at the front office and to pick up a late pass. No student will be admitted to a class without a late pass. Upon entering their class after the bell rings, students will be marked as tardy in Powerschool.

Students who are consistently tardy to school in a semester, will conference with a counselor and/or administrator and in some instances be given a disciplinary consequence. The criteria for an excused tardy is the same as defined above for absences, because tardiness is considered a “short-term absence” from school.All regulations that apply to absenteeism also apply to tardiness. Over-sleeping, missing the bus, traffic congestion, etc. will not be excused, nor does a note, in and of itself, excuse tardiness.

Anytime/Anywhere Learning

In accordance with Baxter’s mission to encourage students to engage in real-world learning, and keeping in mind that Baxter’s students come from diverse locations, the administration recognizes the need to include Anytime/Anywhere Learning as part of the educational experience at Baxter Academy. Baxter has programs built in for Anytime/Anywhere Learning in the calendar of the school year. Additionally, students engaged in internships for their Flex Friday program may work off campus with the approval of Flex Friday educator mentors and their Flex Friday approval committee. If a student applies for an AAL learning day, they are required to submit a statement of purpose and evidence of their learning to the Assistant Principal to receive credit for the day of school.

Truancy

Students younger than 17 years of age, with more than seven consecutive unexcused absences, or 10 cumulative unexcused absences, will be declared truant according to Maine State Law.Any student determined to be truant will meet with members of the Student Care Team to determine the cause of the truancy and assess the effect of the student’s absence as well as any future absences. If it is determined that a negative effect exists, the Student Care Team, consisting of school counselor(s), academic leader(s), social worker(s), and the Special Education Director, is required to develop an intervention plan that may include the items found in Title 20-A, 5051-A. Should this intervention plan fail to correct the habitual truancy, the Head of School shall follow the procedure outlined in Title 20-A, 5051-A, which includes serving a notice by mail to parents or legal guardians, and referring the truant student to local law enforcement.

Dismissals

After arriving at school, students may not leave school grounds prior to the end of the school day, outside of lunch time and Flex Friday activity that has been agreed upon by the cluster leader and the attendance secretary, unless they have been properly dismissed with a note from a parent or legal guardian. The school is responsible for all students during school hours. Once on school grounds, students may not leave the building at any time, other than lunch, without the permission of a school administrator and the parent. If students leave school without administrative/parental permission, they will be subject to disciplinary action.

To be officially dismissed from school for illness or injury, a student must go to the main office for a dismissal note.A parent/guardian will be contacted before allowing the student to go home. In the event of an emergency, etc. parents/guardians may dismiss a student by calling the main office.

185 Lancaster St. Portland, Maine 04101 207-699-5500