Attendance Procedures
Definitions
- Absence – the nonattendance of a student on those days and half days when school is in session.
- Excused Absence – includes the absence of a student for any of the reasons listed in the section below titled “Excused Absences.”
- Unexcused Absence – the absence of a student for any reason that does not qualify as an “Excused Absence”, as listed below.
- Unlawful Absence – an unexcused absence for a student of compulsory school age. An unlawful absence is always an unexcused absence.
- Tardiness – absence of a student at the beginning of any morning or afternoon session, provided the student is in attendance before the close of that session.
- Excused Tardiness – absence of a student at the beginning of any morning or afternoon session that is due to any of the reasons that may be excused for full day absence.
- Unexcused Tardiness – lateness for any reason that does not qualify as “Excused Tardiness”.
- Compulsory school age – the period of a child’s life from the time the child’s parents elect to have the child enter school, which shall not be later than the age of six (6) years, until the age of eighteen (18) years. The term shall not include any child who holds a certificate of graduation from a regularly accredited senior high school.
- Truant – having incurred three (3) or more school days of unexcused absences during the current school year by a child subject to compulsory school attendance.
- Habitually truant – having incurred six (6) or more school days of unexcused absences during the current school year by a child subject to compulsory school attendance.
- Person in parental relation – (1) a custodial biological or adoptive parent; (2) a noncustodial biological or adoptive parent; (3) guardian of the person of a child; or (4) a person with whom a child lives and who is acting in a parental role of a child.
- School attendance improvement conference – a conference where the child’s absences and reasons for the absences are examined in an effort to improve attendance, with or without additional services. The following individuals shall be invited to the conference: (1) the child; (2) the child’s person in parental relation; (3) other individuals identified by the person in parental relation who may be a resource; (4) appropriate school personnel; and (5) recommended service providers.
- School-based or community-based attendance improvement program – a program designed to improve school attendance by seeking to identify and address the underlying reasons for a child’s absences. The term may include an educational assessment in an alternative education program, provided the program does not include a program for disruptive youth.
General Attendance Guidelines
Students are to attend and remain at school in accordance with the School Laws of Pennsylvania and local attendance regulations. Students who are not present for the school day (or some portion thereof) are subject to the attendance tracking procedures set forth in Section 3 (“Tracking Attendance”), below.
Students who are released from the school campus during the school day are to be released only with the documented consent of a parent or guardian with custodial rights. In the case of split custody, the school shall only release the student to the parent with custodial rights to the student at the time for which release is sought except where the other parent consents in writing or in the case of an emergency where the student’s welfare is endangered.
Attendance need not always be within school facilities. A student will be considered in attendance if present at any place where school is in session by authority of the Board; the student is receiving approved tutorial instruction, or health or therapeutic services; the student is engaged in authorized school activities such as a field trip or competition; is engaged in an approved and properly supervised independent study, work- study or career education program; the student is receiving approved homebound instruction.
Tracking Attendance
All LMSD schools are required to track student attendance and take certain action(s) in accordance with Pennsylvania law as described below.
- Unexcused Absences: All absences are considered unexcused until the District receives a written note or email submitted through the Safe Arrival protocol documenting a valid reason for the absence, as detailed below. The mere fact that a parent/guardian has written an excuse does not mean the absence is excused. Reasons for absence of a doubtful nature, including, but not limited to, an excessive number of absences in one category of absence, are subject to administrative review.
- Excused Absences: A student absence is considered excused under the following circumstances:
- When the student is prevented from attendance for mental, physical, or other urgent reasons such as:
- Illness
- Family Emergency
- Death of a Family Member
- Medical or Dental Appointments
- Pre-Approved Educational Travel, Including College Visitations, not to exceed five (5) school days (should be submitted 14 days in advance)
- Pre-Approved Religious Instruction (limit 36 hours per year)
- Bona Fide Religious Holiday
- For purposes of receiving tutorial instruction in a field not offered in the District’s curricula when the excusal does not interfere with the student’s regular program of studies, the qualifications of the tutor or instructor are satisfactory to the Superintendent or designee, and permission for such excusal is sought in writing by the parent/guardian of the child in advance of the commencement of such tutoring
- When the student is required to leave school for the purposes of attending court hearings related to their involvement with the county children and youth agency or juvenile probation office.
- If a student is participating in a musical performance in conjunction with a national veterans' organization or incorporated unit for an event or funeral. The national veterans' organization or incorporated unit must provide the student with note in advance of the absence indicating the date, location and time of the event or funeral.
- If the student is absent due to participation in a project sponsored by an organization that is eligible to apply for a grant under the Pennsylvania Agricultural Fair Act.
- If a student is dismissed from school during school hours for health-related reasons by a certified school nurse, registered nurse, licensed practical nurse or a school administrator or designee employed by the District.
- For the purpose of obtaining professional health care or therapy service rendered by a licensed practitioner of the healing arts in any state, commonwealth or territory.
- If a student whose parent or legal guardian has been called to duty for, is on leave from, or is immediately returned from deployment to a combat zone or combat support posting, with regard to school attendance, tests and extra-curricular or cocurricular activities, at the discretion of the Superintendent or designee, no penalties shall be imposed for absences of up to five (5) days. Teachers shall assist students in making up work caused by such absences.
- Where the Superintendent has approved an attendance plan necessitated by rare and extraordinary circumstances. In this context, “rare” means typically no more than 1 or 2 per year District-wide and “extraordinary circumstances” means the student is engaged in a profession or activity at a nationally recognized level.
- If a verifiable doctor’s note is submitted to excuse an absence, the absence is deemed non- cumulative. Therefore, if a student has a doctor’s note that would excuse an absence, that original note can be presented to the school office upon their return. This generally only matters if the child will exceed ten (10) days of absence (not including educational trips). In addition, a student may be required to present a doctor’s note for one of the following reasons:
- A request for an accommodation such as ongoing need to leave early or arrive late to school on a regular basis, unless pursuant to a provision of a student’s IEP or 504 Plan.
- Upon return to school after infection with a disease that is considered reportable by the health department (pertussis, meningitis, varicella, shigella, etc.).
- Upon the direction of the Pennsylvania Department of Health or the Montgomery County Health Department.
- When the school nurse needs verification that a particular condition is not communicable (persistent vomiting, diarrhea, rash and other skin conditions, cough with fever, purulent discharge from eye, etc.).
- If student has exceeded ten (10) days of cumulative excused absences (not including educational trips).
- In connection with a School Attendance Improvement Plan or if there is a concern about the legitimacy of the absence
- When the student is prevented from attendance for mental, physical, or other urgent reasons such as:
- Ten Consecutive Absences: Students who miss ten consecutive school days shall be dropped from the active membership roll unless the school is provided with evidence that the excuse is legal or the school is pursuing compulsory attendance prosecution. Should the student subsequently return to the school, the student will not be guaranteed placement in the same classroom as the one left before the withdrawal from attendance.
- School Responses and Procedures for Unexcused Absence
Parents/guardians and students shall submit the required excuse note within three (3) school days of the absence. If written verification of the reason for absence is not received within three (3) school days of the absence, the absence will be counted towards the calculation of unexcused absences for purposes of reporting truancy. The absence may be reclassified if a valid excuse note is forthcoming within ten (10) school days from the date of the absence. Any request for reclassification of an absence after ten school days will be treated as a request for amendment of student records under the Student Records Policy. The accumulation of tardiness to school will be included in the calculation of a student’s total number of unexcused absences for purposes of responding to and reporting unexcused absence, as detailed below.A maximum of ten days of cumulative lawful absences for illness verified by parental notification may be permitted during a school year. All absences beyond ten cumulative days, not inclusive of pre-approved educational travel, shall require an excuse from the child’s primary care or treating physician, who may not be the child’s parent/guardian.
- Third Unexcused Absence: Within ten (10) school days of a child’s third unexcused absence, the school principal, assistant principal or designee shall send an Official Notice of Truancy. Included in this notice shall be a description of the consequences if the child becomes habitually truant. This notice may include the offer of a school attendance improvement conference, and shall be in the mode and language of communication preferred by the parent in parental relation to the child. When transmitted to a person who is not the biological or adoptive parent, such notice shall also be provided to the child’s biological or adoptive parent if the parent’s mailing address is on file with the school and the parent is not precluded from receiving the information by court order.
- Continued Absenteeism: If the child continues to incur unexcused absences after the issuance of the Official Notice of Truancy, the school shall then offer by advance written notice a school attendance improvement conference to the child and the person in parental relation to the child, unless a conference was previously held following the Official Notice of Truancy. The following shall apply with respect to a school attendance improvement conference:
- There is no legal requirement that the child or person in parental relation attend the conference, and the conference shall occur even if the person in parental relation declines to participate or fails to attend the scheduled conference after advance written notice and attempts to communicate via telephone.
- The outcome of the conference shall be documented in a written school attendance improvement plan, on the template provided by the Department of Education for this purpose.
- Further legal action may not be taken to address unexcused absences by the child until after the date for the scheduled school attendance improvement conference has passed.
The District shall not expel or impose out-of-school suspension, disciplinary reassignment or transfer for truant behavior.
- Procedure for addressing Habitually Truant Children:
- When a child is habitually truant and under fifteen (15) years of age at the time of referral, the school:
- Shall refer the child to either (1) a school-based or community-based attendance improvement program or (2) the Montgomery County Office of Children and Youth for services or possible disposition as a dependent child.
- May file a citation in the office of the magisterial district judge having jurisdiction in the region against the person in parental relation who resides in the same household as the child. The venue for the filing of such a citation shall be based on the location of the school in which the child is enrolled or shall be enrolled, unless the child is enrolled in a cyber charter school, in which case the proper venue shall be based on the residence of the child.
- When a child is habitually truant and fifteen (15) years of age or older at the time of referral, the school shall either:
- Refer the child to a school-based or community-based attendance improvement program or service.
- File a citation in the office of the magisterial district judge having jurisdiction in the region against the child or the person in parental relation who resides in the same household as the child. The venue for the filing of such a citation shall be based on the location of the school in which the child is enrolled or shall be enrolled, unless the child is enrolled in a cyber charter school, in which case the proper venue shall be based on the residence of the child.
- If a child who is fifteen (15) years of age or older continues to incur additional unexcused absences after being referred to a school-based or community-based attendance improvement program or fails to participate in the such a program as recommended through the school attendance improvement conference, the school may refer the child to the Montgomery County Office of Children and Youth for possible disposition as a dependent child.
- When a child is habitually truant and under fifteen (15) years of age at the time of referral, the school: