High School Attendance Policies and Procedures
Attendance Policies and Procedures
The focal point of the educational process at Random Lake High School is the classroom. POSITIVE learning experiences at school can be achieved only by regular school attendance. Frequent absences disrupt the learning experience, lead to possible failure, and establish poor work habits. In many ways our expectations for students regarding regular school attendance are similar to the expectations held by most employers. The main difference is that the school has a responsibility to teach dependability rather than just expect it. It is on this basis, that the following policies and procedures have been developed. In accordance with Section 118.15 of the Wisconsin Statutes, all students living in the School District of Random Lake must attend school until the end of the term in which they reach their 18th birthdays, unless the students, parents, and administration agree in writing to a curriculum modification. Alternative programs involving students 16 years of age must lead to a high school diploma. Programs involving students 17 years of age must lead to a high school diploma or a high school equivalency diploma. Students should contact the school counseling office for information. The attendance officers are required to enforce this section of the statutes whenever the attendance of a student is irregular. Excessive absenteeism may be cause for requiring a physician’s statement in order for the absence to be excused. The responsibility for regular attendance of a student rests upon the student’s parent or guardian. The parent or legal guardian is expected to call the school (994-9193) each day a student is absent in order to receive an excused absence. If an absence extends beyond three consecutive days, or ten days in a school year a doctor’s statement may be requested. A note from a parent or call back to a parent may be required in order to verify an absence. We realize that many of you must leave your homes before our office is open to take telephone calls. Therefore, we have installed an answering machine for your convenience in reporting absences and tardies during NON-business hours. (Our business hours in the high school office are 7:00 a.m. until 3:30 p.m.) Any parent/guardian calling the school during non-business hours are encouraged to leave a message including the name of the student, date, and reason for the absence or tardy. We hope this procedure will be a user-friendly method of phoning in an absence or tardy when the office is closed. This will help the office and teachers know early in the day if your son or daughter has an excused or unexcused absence or tardy.
Excused Absences
Excused absences are those absences in which the school administration has excused the student from the school and allows the student to make up assignments missed. Excused absences fall into two categories;
Parent Request Excused
In order that the student gets credit for assignments missed during an absence a written note or phone call to the office is required. If a written note or call is not provided, the absence will be unexcused. Parent Request Excused absences include medical appointments, hunting trips, weddings, vacations, etc. If the parent request excused absence is for an appointment the student will be required to provide a note from the provider verifying attendance at the appointment. Students are allowed ten (10) days of parent request absences per school year according to state law and school policy.
Unexpected Illness Absences
These are absences which occur suddenly. In order to excuse your child on these days, please call the high school office 994-9193 before 2:40 PM and be prepared to give the reason for the absence. If a call is not possible, a call or note MUST be provided on the day of return. It is the responsibility of the parent/guardian and the student to ensure this policy is followed. If no call is received or a note is not provided on the day of return, the absence will be recorded as unexcused and truancy proceedings will be initiated. Unexpected absences include illness, death in the family, etc. In order to be excused from school, the reason for absence must be approved by school administration. If the number of absences exceeds twenty for the school year, a doctor’s excuse will be required. If for some reason a student is unable to obtain a medical excuse, the parent is expected to contact the Principal to explain the reason.
NOTE: In order for a medical excuse to be valid the student must be seen by a medical provider. Simply calling a doctor and requesting a note is not acceptable. Any time a medical excuse is provided and the student was not physically seen by a provider, the absence will not be excused.
Any student that has an appointment with a doctor, dentist or court will be required to have verification of the appointment. Many of the doctors and dentists currently provide the student with this documentation.
Unexcused Absences/ Truancy [State Statute 118.163(1m)]:
An unexcused absence/truancy is defined as a student that is not present when expected to be in attendance. This would include a student that is absent without parental/guardian notification as outlined above. It also defined as a situation in which a student has used up all allowed excused days. Tardiness is also considered unexcused/truancy. A student is also considered to be unexcused/truant for the following reasons:
Being absent for all or any part of a day or class period without school permission is considered unexcused/truant. NOTE: IF a student leaves without prior permission a pass will not be accepted after the absence has occurred.
**NOTE: Students must be signed into the office no later than 11:00am in order to participate in any after school activity on that day. This includes attending a practice, a game, a performance, or any event (dances, sporting events, etc.)
Consequences for Unexcused Absences: It is our intent to discourage any student from missing school for reasons that are unexcused. It is for this reason that the following consequences will be employed when a student misses school with an unexcused absence.
Students who have an unexcused absence will be allowed to make-up any missed chapter, unit, quarter, or semester exams. No credit will be given for other work missed during the period of unexcused absence. Students will be given a zero for all other work missed. Daily and/or quarter and semester grades will not be reduced further based on an unexcused absence.
Each offense for unexcused absence/truancy will be entered into the discipline system and will be tracked as an office referral.
College Visits
Upon return to school, students must show verification of their campus visit by having the signature of a campus official. If proper documentation is provided, these days will be exempt for the students and will not count towards the students' excused absence total.
Closed Campus/ Leaving School
Random Lake High School has a closed campus. In order for a student to be released during the school day, proper notification must be given to the office and permission granted by the high school principal. Any student leaving the school without permission will be treated as a truant and receive consequences according to the truancy policy.
NOTE: No student may leave the building without first checking out of the high school office. No excuse will be accepted after the fact if and when a student leaves without checking out of the office. Such absences will be recorded as unexcused, and the customary consequences will be assigned.
The principal will make the determination if an absence is excused or unexcused. In a case where it is discovered that a student was absent for a reason other than was reported to the attendance office, it will be counted as an unexcused absence and disciplinary action will be taken.
When a student’s excused absences become excessive, the attendance officer may require a note from a doctor for any continued absences. Failure to comply with the request will result in the absence(s) being treated as unexcused.
Truancy
Truant means a pupil who is absent from school without an acceptable excuse for part or all of any day on which school is held during a school semester. [Wisconsin Section 118.16 (1) (d)]
Habitual Truant means a pupil who is absent from school without an acceptable excuse for part or all of 5 or more days on which school is held during a school semester. [Wisconsin Section 118.16 (1) (a)]
Students whose unexcused absences meet the legal standard of “habitual truancy” are subject to prosecution in circuit court. If found guilty of violating this statute, the court may impose any or all of the following sanctions:
Guidelines for Make-up Work
All students with excused absences will be allowed to make up all work missed in accordance with the following guidelines:
1. It is the responsibility of the student to contact the teacher to make arrangements to make up the work that was missed.
2. Examinations and quizzes during an excused absence will be permitted to be taken at a time mutually agreed upon by the teacher and student.
Students and parents are reminded that only summative assessments can be made up when an unexcused absence occurs.
Classroom Tardiness
Classroom tardies will be handled by the teacher. A student who is more than five minutes late without a pass is considered truant. Habitual tardiness may be referred to the attendance advisor or principal for further consequences. All students will be expected to be in the classroom before the bell rings to start class. Being on time to class is defined as the student being in the classroom before the last bell sounds. If a student is tardy to class, the teacher will mark the student tardy in the Electronic Computer Student Management system. After three tardies, the student will serve a ½ hour detention in that teacher’s classroom. The detention will be arranged by the teacher and the student, and the teacher will notify parents.
A student will be allowed two excused times of tardiness per class, per semester. If a student is tardy more than two times in a semester for a class, the following consequences will apply:
3rd Tardy – Teacher Assigned ½ Hour Detention (served with the teacher or designated staff member)
6th Tardy - Teacher Assigned ½ Hour Detention (served with the teacher or designated staff member)
9th Tardy - Teacher Assigned ½ Hour Detention (served with the teacher or designated staff member)
10th and all subsequent Tardies – Referral to Office - Truancy Recommendation filed with Sheboygan County
Sheriff’s Department
NOTE: If a parent chooses to excuse their child’s tardiness it will be counted as one of the ten (10) parent request days.
Appointments
In order for appointments (doctor, dentist, court, etc.) to be excused and exempt, meaning they will not count against the 20 allowed excused days, verification of the appointment is required, including verification of time with signature from medical provider.
NOTE: Most dental, medical, or orthodontist appointments do not take a whole day -- especially local ones. You are excused from school for only the amount of time (plus travel time) that it actually takes for the appointment.
NOTE: If you are absent from school for any reason other than verified appointments or excused purposes, you are not allowed to attend evening school events such as games, concerts, plays, performances, etc.
Exempt Absences
With proper documentation, the following absences may be recorded exempt and not count against a student's twenty days of excused absence:
School Related Absences (Field Trips, Games, etc.)
Students excused from school because of a class or school sponsored activity are required to notify teachers prior to their absence to make arrangements to complete required assignments. It is the student’s responsibility to obtained missed assignments.
The focal point of the educational process at Random Lake High School is the classroom. POSITIVE learning experiences at school can be achieved only by regular school attendance. Frequent absences disrupt the learning experience, lead to possible failure, and establish poor work habits. In many ways our expectations for students regarding regular school attendance are similar to the expectations held by most employers. The main difference is that the school has a responsibility to teach dependability rather than just expect it. It is on this basis, that the following policies and procedures have been developed. In accordance with Section 118.15 of the Wisconsin Statutes, all students living in the School District of Random Lake must attend school until the end of the term in which they reach their 18th birthdays, unless the students, parents, and administration agree in writing to a curriculum modification. Alternative programs involving students 16 years of age must lead to a high school diploma. Programs involving students 17 years of age must lead to a high school diploma or a high school equivalency diploma. Students should contact the school counseling office for information. The attendance officers are required to enforce this section of the statutes whenever the attendance of a student is irregular. Excessive absenteeism may be cause for requiring a physician’s statement in order for the absence to be excused. The responsibility for regular attendance of a student rests upon the student’s parent or guardian. The parent or legal guardian is expected to call the school (994-9193) each day a student is absent in order to receive an excused absence. If an absence extends beyond three consecutive days, or ten days in a school year a doctor’s statement may be requested. A note from a parent or call back to a parent may be required in order to verify an absence. We realize that many of you must leave your homes before our office is open to take telephone calls. Therefore, we have installed an answering machine for your convenience in reporting absences and tardies during NON-business hours. (Our business hours in the high school office are 7:00 a.m. until 3:30 p.m.) Any parent/guardian calling the school during non-business hours are encouraged to leave a message including the name of the student, date, and reason for the absence or tardy. We hope this procedure will be a user-friendly method of phoning in an absence or tardy when the office is closed. This will help the office and teachers know early in the day if your son or daughter has an excused or unexcused absence or tardy.
Excused Absences
Excused absences are those absences in which the school administration has excused the student from the school and allows the student to make up assignments missed. Excused absences fall into two categories;
Parent Request Excused
In order that the student gets credit for assignments missed during an absence a written note or phone call to the office is required. If a written note or call is not provided, the absence will be unexcused. Parent Request Excused absences include medical appointments, hunting trips, weddings, vacations, etc. If the parent request excused absence is for an appointment the student will be required to provide a note from the provider verifying attendance at the appointment. Students are allowed ten (10) days of parent request absences per school year according to state law and school policy.
Unexpected Illness Absences
These are absences which occur suddenly. In order to excuse your child on these days, please call the high school office 994-9193 before 2:40 PM and be prepared to give the reason for the absence. If a call is not possible, a call or note MUST be provided on the day of return. It is the responsibility of the parent/guardian and the student to ensure this policy is followed. If no call is received or a note is not provided on the day of return, the absence will be recorded as unexcused and truancy proceedings will be initiated. Unexpected absences include illness, death in the family, etc. In order to be excused from school, the reason for absence must be approved by school administration. If the number of absences exceeds twenty for the school year, a doctor’s excuse will be required. If for some reason a student is unable to obtain a medical excuse, the parent is expected to contact the Principal to explain the reason.
NOTE: In order for a medical excuse to be valid the student must be seen by a medical provider. Simply calling a doctor and requesting a note is not acceptable. Any time a medical excuse is provided and the student was not physically seen by a provider, the absence will not be excused.
Any student that has an appointment with a doctor, dentist or court will be required to have verification of the appointment. Many of the doctors and dentists currently provide the student with this documentation.
Unexcused Absences/ Truancy [State Statute 118.163(1m)]:
An unexcused absence/truancy is defined as a student that is not present when expected to be in attendance. This would include a student that is absent without parental/guardian notification as outlined above. It also defined as a situation in which a student has used up all allowed excused days. Tardiness is also considered unexcused/truancy. A student is also considered to be unexcused/truant for the following reasons:
- Failure to properly report an absence;
- Students, twenty or more minutes late to class, without an acceptable excuse;
- Not following assigned schedule;
- Being absent without parental approval that does not meet the guidelines of prearranged absence;
- Conducting personal business that could be conducted at a time other than during school hours (e.g. hair appointments, shopping trip, going out to lunch, etc.);
- Missing school with parent permission for reasons other than those described above;
- Oversleeping;
- Transportation problems not related to school bussing;
- Failure to provide verification of appointments;
- Leaving school property during his or her lunch period.
Being absent for all or any part of a day or class period without school permission is considered unexcused/truant. NOTE: IF a student leaves without prior permission a pass will not be accepted after the absence has occurred.
**NOTE: Students must be signed into the office no later than 11:00am in order to participate in any after school activity on that day. This includes attending a practice, a game, a performance, or any event (dances, sporting events, etc.)
Consequences for Unexcused Absences: It is our intent to discourage any student from missing school for reasons that are unexcused. It is for this reason that the following consequences will be employed when a student misses school with an unexcused absence.
Students who have an unexcused absence will be allowed to make-up any missed chapter, unit, quarter, or semester exams. No credit will be given for other work missed during the period of unexcused absence. Students will be given a zero for all other work missed. Daily and/or quarter and semester grades will not be reduced further based on an unexcused absence.
Each offense for unexcused absence/truancy will be entered into the discipline system and will be tracked as an office referral.
- 5th Offense = Truancy Recommendation
- 10th Offense = 2nd Truancy Recommendation
- 15th Offense = 3rd Truancy Recommendation
- 20th Offense = Placement on Alternative Educational Placement Plan
- If student has not already reached this placement based on other office referrals (See Disciplinary Alternative Placement Process earlier in this document)
College Visits
Upon return to school, students must show verification of their campus visit by having the signature of a campus official. If proper documentation is provided, these days will be exempt for the students and will not count towards the students' excused absence total.
Closed Campus/ Leaving School
Random Lake High School has a closed campus. In order for a student to be released during the school day, proper notification must be given to the office and permission granted by the high school principal. Any student leaving the school without permission will be treated as a truant and receive consequences according to the truancy policy.
NOTE: No student may leave the building without first checking out of the high school office. No excuse will be accepted after the fact if and when a student leaves without checking out of the office. Such absences will be recorded as unexcused, and the customary consequences will be assigned.
The principal will make the determination if an absence is excused or unexcused. In a case where it is discovered that a student was absent for a reason other than was reported to the attendance office, it will be counted as an unexcused absence and disciplinary action will be taken.
When a student’s excused absences become excessive, the attendance officer may require a note from a doctor for any continued absences. Failure to comply with the request will result in the absence(s) being treated as unexcused.
Truancy
Truant means a pupil who is absent from school without an acceptable excuse for part or all of any day on which school is held during a school semester. [Wisconsin Section 118.16 (1) (d)]
Habitual Truant means a pupil who is absent from school without an acceptable excuse for part or all of 5 or more days on which school is held during a school semester. [Wisconsin Section 118.16 (1) (a)]
Students whose unexcused absences meet the legal standard of “habitual truancy” are subject to prosecution in circuit court. If found guilty of violating this statute, the court may impose any or all of the following sanctions:
- A court order to attend school regularly. This means that any additional truancy would be a violation of a court order, and would subject the student to more serious judicial penalties.
- Suspension of the student's driver's license for at least 30 days, and perhaps as long as a year.
- An order to participate in counseling or a supervised work program/community service requirement.
- An order to revoke a student's work permit.
- A fine of up to $500.00. This penalty may be imposed against the student, the parent(s) or both.
- Any other reasonable condition that is consistent with the statute, including curfew, restrictions against visiting specific places and/or associating with other children or adults.
Guidelines for Make-up Work
All students with excused absences will be allowed to make up all work missed in accordance with the following guidelines:
1. It is the responsibility of the student to contact the teacher to make arrangements to make up the work that was missed.
2. Examinations and quizzes during an excused absence will be permitted to be taken at a time mutually agreed upon by the teacher and student.
Students and parents are reminded that only summative assessments can be made up when an unexcused absence occurs.
Classroom Tardiness
Classroom tardies will be handled by the teacher. A student who is more than five minutes late without a pass is considered truant. Habitual tardiness may be referred to the attendance advisor or principal for further consequences. All students will be expected to be in the classroom before the bell rings to start class. Being on time to class is defined as the student being in the classroom before the last bell sounds. If a student is tardy to class, the teacher will mark the student tardy in the Electronic Computer Student Management system. After three tardies, the student will serve a ½ hour detention in that teacher’s classroom. The detention will be arranged by the teacher and the student, and the teacher will notify parents.
A student will be allowed two excused times of tardiness per class, per semester. If a student is tardy more than two times in a semester for a class, the following consequences will apply:
3rd Tardy – Teacher Assigned ½ Hour Detention (served with the teacher or designated staff member)
6th Tardy - Teacher Assigned ½ Hour Detention (served with the teacher or designated staff member)
9th Tardy - Teacher Assigned ½ Hour Detention (served with the teacher or designated staff member)
10th and all subsequent Tardies – Referral to Office - Truancy Recommendation filed with Sheboygan County
Sheriff’s Department
NOTE: If a parent chooses to excuse their child’s tardiness it will be counted as one of the ten (10) parent request days.
Appointments
In order for appointments (doctor, dentist, court, etc.) to be excused and exempt, meaning they will not count against the 20 allowed excused days, verification of the appointment is required, including verification of time with signature from medical provider.
NOTE: Most dental, medical, or orthodontist appointments do not take a whole day -- especially local ones. You are excused from school for only the amount of time (plus travel time) that it actually takes for the appointment.
NOTE: If you are absent from school for any reason other than verified appointments or excused purposes, you are not allowed to attend evening school events such as games, concerts, plays, performances, etc.
Exempt Absences
With proper documentation, the following absences may be recorded exempt and not count against a student's twenty days of excused absence:
- Doctor Appointment
- Dentist Appointment
- Counseling Appointment
- College Visit
- Driver's Test
- Court Date
School Related Absences (Field Trips, Games, etc.)
Students excused from school because of a class or school sponsored activity are required to notify teachers prior to their absence to make arrangements to complete required assignments. It is the student’s responsibility to obtained missed assignments.