Hudson Middle School
Attendance

Compulsory Student Attendance – Policy #431

Regular attendance at school is vital to student learning and success. Student success is at risk when the student is not in school. All students between six (6) and eighteen (18) years of age shall attend school regularly during the full period and hours that the student’s school is in session.

The Superintendent shall designate an administrator at each school to be the School Attendance Officer. The School Attendance Officer shall perform any duties and responsibilities required by state law, this policy, and any administrative guidelines issued by the school. The duties of the School Attendance Officer shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

A.    Determining daily from attendance reports submitted by teachers which students enrolled in the school are absent from school and whether the absence is excused.

B.    Submitting to the Superintendent, on or before August 1st of each year, a report of the number of students enrolled in the school who were absent in the previous year and whether the absences were excused. The Superintendent shall then submit this information to the State Superintendent.

C.    Providing student attendance information to individuals and agencies for purposes authorized by state law and the Board’s Policy 347 – Student Records.

The primary responsibility for regular school attendance of a child rests upon the child’s parent(s) or legal guardian. In addition, school officials have a legal responsibility to enforce student attendance in school. It is the intent of the Hudson School District to work as closely as possible with parents/legal guardians regarding student attendance. Building administrators (principals and associate principals) are the Board of Education’s designated school attendance officers.

All absences require parent/legal guardian’s written verification in order to be excused. The verification is to be submitted to the building administrator. If written verification is not received within three schools days after the child’s return to school, the absence will be unexcused.

A student will be considered habitually truant if the student is absent from school without an acceptable excuse for part or all of five (5) or more days on which school is held during a school semester. In such case, the School Attendance Officer will provide the student’s parent/legal guardian with a notice of habitual truancy and request to attend a meeting. The date for the meeting shall be within five (5) school days after the date the notice is sent, except that with the consent of the student’s parent/legal guardian the date for the meeting may be extended for an additional five (5) school days. If the meeting between the parent/legal guardian and school personnel is not held within ten (10) school days after the notice is sent, court proceedings may be initiated relating to the truancy without the required meeting.

The notice of habitual truancy shall be provided to the student’s parent or legal guardian by registered or certified mail, or by 1st class mail, and shall contain the following:

A.    A statement of the parent’s/legal guardian’s responsibility under state law to cause the student to attend school regularly.

B.    A statement that the parent/legal guardian or student may request program or curriculum modifications for the student under state law and that the student may be eligible for enrollment in a program for children at risk.

C.    A request that the parent meet with the appropriate school personnel to discuss the student’s truancy. The notice shall include the name of the school personnel with whom the parent should meet, a date, time, and place for the meeting and the name, address, and telephone number of a person to contact to arrange a different date, time, or place.

D.    A statement of the penalties, under state law or local ordinances that may be imposed on the parent if they fail to cause the child to attend school regularly as required by state law.

The School Attendance Officer or designee shall approve a student absence for the following reasons:

  • Religious holiday.
  • Release time for religious instruction.
  • Prior written permission of the student’s parent or legal guardian. Such absences may not exceed ten (10) days per school year and the student must complete any course work missed during the absence.
  • A court appearance or other legal procedure which requires the presence of the student.
  • A quarantine as imposed by the public health officer.
  •  Suspension or expulsion.
  • Prior written permission of a parent or legal guardian of a high school student who is age sixteen (16) or seventeen (17) to serve as an election official if the student has signed up and the municipal clerk has informed the student’s principal that the student has been assigned to serve in that capacity; and the student has at least a 3.0 grade point average or equivalent.
  • A student not in the proper physical or mental condition to attend school or an educational program.a.   The District may request the parent or guardian of the child, after three days of consecutive or non-consecutive absences, to obtain a written statement from a physician, licensed psychologist, licensed chiropractor, or Christian Science practitioner, dentist, or optometrist, as proof of the physical and mental condition of the child. Such excuse shall be in writing, shall state the period of time for which it is valid and shall not exceed thirty (30) days.b.   Students may be excused from physical education for a maximum of three consecutive classes upon request of the parent and verification by the health assistant. A physician’s statement is required for students presenting more long-term or chronic medical problems interfering with their ability to fully participate in physical education. Although the requirement for physical education may be waived with a medical excuse, it is the goal of the District to maintain the involvement of every student in physical education by introducing necessary modifications and adaptations.

The School Attendance Officer or designee may approve a student absence for the following reasons:

  • Medical services which cannot be scheduled outside of school hours.
  • A quarantine order by a public health official.
  • A death of a family member or person of significance to the student.
  • A medical condition in the family which requires the presence of the student.
  • Transportation delay beyond the control of the student.
  • School sponsored events.

Students will not be denied credit in a course or subject solely because of absences from school. However, only senior students who attend classes a minimum of 90% of their scheduled time during their final semester, or are following an attendance improvement plan determined by High School administration, will be allowed the privilege of participating in the graduation ceremony. Absences will be excused pursuant to this policy. An appeal of the High School administration’s decision to not allow the student’s participation in the school’s graduation ceremony may be made to the Superintendent. The decision of the Superintendent or the Superintendent’s designee shall be final.

Students suspended from school by a building administrator for disciplinary reasons are regarded as neither excused nor unexcused and should be recorded as suspended from school versus absent from school. Such students must be allowed to make-up all class assignments, quizzes, examinations, and projects missed during the term of suspension.

Wisconsin statutes regarding compulsory school attendance and the District’s student attendance policies and procedures apply to students enrolled part- or full-time in the District’s virtual schools and/or classes. Attendance is monitored and recorded by the School Attendance Officer or designee.