ATTENDANCE & TRUANCY MANDATORY SCHOOL ATTENDANCE In the State of Delaware, every child between the ages of 5 and 20 has a right to a free and appropriate public educa on. Moreover, State law establishes that every parent and/or legal guardian of a child between the ages of 5-18 has the responsibility to assure that his/her child a ends school (unless the child has been withdrawn). The District shall comply with all compulsory a endance laws and regula ons of the state and has established the following guidelines for student a endance. Students are required to be present for at least 85% of instruc onal me in any given school year. For grades Kindergarten through Grade 5, a endance is taken for the en rety of the school day. Students who do not a end at least half of the class periods on a given day will be marked absent for that day. For students in Grades 6 through 12, a endance is taken and recorded per course. Thus, a secondary student’s a endance can vary from course to course in any given day. Please Note: Secondary students who are absent for more than fi een (15) minutes of a class may be considered tardy from the class unless excused by proper authority. Any student whose number of absences (excused or unexcused) exceeds the allowable limits could fail to qualify for promo on to the next grade or fail to receive course credit. For the 2021-2022 school year, the maximum number of absences permi ed are as follows: Kindergarten – Grade 5: 25 absences Grades 6-12: 13 absences
TYPES OF ABSENCES Unless an absence is preapproved or caused by a school func on, any student not present will be marked as unexcused absence. If the parent/guardian produces a note with a valid reason for the absence (see below), the absence with be coded as excused. Excused Absence: An excused absence is for one of the reasons listed below and for which the required parental/professional note of explana on has been presented. A student’s absence will be marked as unexcused in the Student Accoun ng System un l the parental/professional note is provided. The following condi ons only will result in an excused absence: • illness of the student (a physician’s note may be requested a er three consecu ve days); • scheduled appointments for the student and/or parent to a physical or mental healthcare provider; • death in the immediate family; funerals of other rela ves or close friends • contagious disease in the home of the child subject to regula ons of the Division of Public Health, Department of Health and Social Services; • legal business requiring the student’s presence; • suspension or expulsion from school; • observance of religious holidays; • remedial health treatment; • absence, preapproved by the Principal, to visit a college or university; • authorized school-sponsored ac vi es; 20
