ATTENDANCE OFFICE

Please contact the Attendance and/or Health Office of your child's school to report absences. See the School Attendance Contact list for contact information and links to those sites. 

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ATTENDANCE REGULATIONS

A full copy of the Attendance Policy is included in the Student Handbook provided to all Middle School and High School students at the beginning of the school year. In addition, copies of the full policy are available in all buildings as public information material.

Regular school attendance is required of all pupils. Frequent absences can severely affect a pupil's learning. The school recognizes there are some absences that are unavoidable and urge that sick children remain at home. However, we just as strongly urge that well children be sent to school. Parents are encouraged to assist in this regard.

Absences for medical or dental visitations and religious observations are valid absences but should take place, where possible, outside school hours. Students will only be released from school to attend a religious service when a parent or guardian has sent a note to the school at least one day in advance requesting the release. Absences for the following reasons will be considered illegal absences: visiting, away for vacations, shopping, needed at home, caring for baby, work, overslept, missing the bus, traffic, etc. This is based on the rules of the Commissioner of Education and the State Education Law and shall be considered unexcused absences and/or lateness. School personnel will not be required to supply assignments, homework, test make-ups, etc., to those students who are absent from school for reasons such as these.

State aid under New York State Law is affected by unnecessary absences, as support is based on the average daily attendance of pupils.

If your child is absent from school, the following procedure should be followed:

• Give your child a signed, written excuse for the absence.
• When the child arrives at one of the elementary schools, he/she will present the excuse to the teacher. In the Middle School and High School the excuse should be presented to the Attendance Office and include student id number.
• If the absence was due to a communicable disease, the child will be asked to report to the school nurse for a brief examination to determine if the child should be in school
• The school nurse, after examination, will decide whether or not the child may return to class.