No. 5113.2

Students

Series 5000

ATTENDANCE AND TRUANCY

POLICY

It is the policy of the Region 15 Board of Education that regular and punctual student attendance in school is important and that early intervention by staff for student exhibited truancy behavior is necessary.  In accordance with Connecticut General Statutes, Section 10-198a, the Board adopts the following attendance and truancy policy.  In addition, it directs the Superintendent to adopt administrative regulations to implement this policy at all levels of the school district.

Definitions:

“Excused absence” is absence from a regularly-scheduled school day (or regularly-scheduled class period at the high school) that is determined by the school principal or his/her designee to be for any of the following reasons: a medical reason; a religious holiday; a court appearance; a funeral or death in the family; a serious family emergency; an approved school activity such as a field trip; a suspension or expulsion; or, in limited circumstances with the approval of the principal, a special activity.  In addition, up to four (4) absences for seniors for the purpose of college visits will be excused.  Other absences will be considered unexcused.

“Truant” is any student five to eighteen years of age, inclusive, who has four (4) unexcused absences from school in any one month or ten (10) unexcused absences from school in any school year.  A student five or six years of age shall not be considered truant if the parent or person having control over such student has appeared personally at the school district office and exercised the option of not sending the child to school at five or six years of age.  A student sixteen or seventeen years of age shall not be considered truant if the parent or person having control over such student consents to such student’s withdrawal from school.  Such parent or person shall personally appear at the school district office and sign a withdrawal form indicating such consent.  If a parent or guardian of an expelled student chooses not to enroll the student in an alternative program, the student shall not be considered to be “truant.”

“Student” is defined as any enrolled child between the ages of five and eighteen inclusive.

“Absence” is defined as any absence from a regularly-scheduled school day (or at the high school from any regularly-scheduled class).

“Tardy” is defined as any arrival to class after the official start of a regularly scheduled school day.

Procedures for students in grades K-8.  The following shall apply, as may be further defined by the Superintendent through administrative regulations.

1.

Notification

a.

Annually at the beginning of the school year and upon the enrollment of any child during the school year, the administration shall notify the parent or guardian of any student in writing of the obligations pursuant to Conn. Gen. Stat. §10-184 to assure that such a student attends school regularly or to show that the child is elsewhere receiving equivalent instruction in the studies taught in the Regional School District 15 Public Schools.

b.

Annually at the beginning of the school year and upon the enrollment of any child during the school year, the administration shall obtain from the parent or other person having control of the student in grades K-8 a telephone number or other means of contacting such parent or other person during the school day.

2.

Monitoring

Each school shall implement a system of monitoring individual unexcused absences of students in grades K-8.  Whenever such a student fails to report to school on a regularly scheduled school day, school personnel under the direction of the building principal or his/her designee shall make a reasonable effort to notify the parent or other person having control of such student by telephone of the student's absence, unless school personnel have received an indication that the parent or other person is aware of the student's absence.  Reasonable efforts shall include two (2) attempts to reach the parent or other person at the telephone number provided by the parent or other person.  Such attempts shall be recorded on a form provided by the Superintendent.  Any person who, in good faith, gives or fails to give such notice shall be immune from liability, civil or criminal, which might otherwise be incurred or imposed and shall have the same immunity with respect to any judicial proceeding which results from such notice or failure to give notice.

3.

Absences and Truancy

The Superintendent shall develop administrative regulations that set out notifications and procedures for addressing student absence and tardiness at each level.  At the high school level, such procedures may include provision for loss of credit for absences beyond a stated maximum, subject to such appeal procedures as the Superintendent may adopt.

When a student is truant, the building principal or his/her designee shall schedule a meeting with the parent or other person having control of such student and appropriate school personnel to review and evaluate the reasons for the student's truancy.  This meeting shall be held no later than ten (10) days after the student becomes truant.  If the parent or other person declines to attend the meeting, that fact shall be documented and the meeting shall proceed with school personnel in attendance.

If the parent or other person having control of a student who is truant fails to attend the meeting held pursuant to subsection a, above, or otherwise fails to cooperate with the school in attempting to solve the truancy problem, the Superintendent shall file for such truant a written complaint with the Superior Court pursuant to Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46b - 149 alleging the belief that the acts or omissions of the truant are such that his/her family is a family with service needs.

The Superintendent or his/her designee shall coordinate services with and referrals of students to community agencies providing child and family services, as appropriate.

In addition to the procedures specified in subsections a through b above, a regular education student who is experiencing attendance problems shall be referred to the building child study team for program review and assistance.  The Team will review the student's need for referral for a Planning and Placement Team (PPT) meeting to review the student's need and eligibility for special education.  A special education student who is experiencing attendance problems shall be referred for a PPT meeting for program review.

         Approved: 12 November 1991

Revision Approved: 23 February 1998

         Reviewed: 23 November 1998

Revision Approved: 10 March   2003