ATTENDANCE & TRUANCY MANDATORY SCHOOL ATTENDANCE State law establishes that every person who has legal custody, guardianship of the person, or legal control of a child between 5 and 16 years of age, including any person ac ng as a caregiver pursuant to the provisions of Title 14 of the Delaware Code has the responsibility to assure that his/her child enrolls and a ends school. The District shall comply with all compulsory a endance laws and regula ons, including those for students with disabili es, as well as and provisions in Title 14 of the Delaware Code. Students are required to be present for at least 85% of instruc onal me in any given school year. For grades Kindergarten through Grade 5, a endance is taken as a percentage of me based on the en rety of the school day. Students who do not a end at least half (3.25 hours) of the 6.5 hour day on a given day will be marked absent for the en re day. For students in Grades 6 through 12, a endance is taken and recorded per class period or credit course; thus, a secondary student’s a endance can vary. Any student whose number of absences (excused or unexcused) exceeds the allowable limits could fail to qualify for promo on to the next grade or fail to receive course credit. The maximum number of absences permi ed per Delaware code are as follows: Kindergarten – Grade 8: 25 absences Grades 9-12: 13 absences [per block class]
TYPES OF ABSENCES Unless an absence is pre-approved or caused by a school func on, any student not present will be marked as unexcused absence. If the parent/guardian produces a note with a valid reason for the absence (see below), the absence will be coded as excused. Excused Absence: An excused absence is for one of the reasons listed below and for which the required parental/professional note of explana on has been presented. A student’s absence will be marked as unexcused in the Student Accoun ng System un l the parental/professional note is provided. The following condi ons only will result in an excused absence: • illness of the student (a physician’s note may be requested a er three consecu ve days); • scheduled appointments for the student and/or parent to a physical or mental healthcare provider; • death in the immediate family; funerals of other rela ves or close friends • contagious disease in the home of the child subject to regula ons of the Division of Public Health, Department of Health and Social Services; • legal business requiring the student’s presence; • suspension or expulsion from school; • observance of religious holidays; • health treatments (physical therapy, occupa onal therapy, etc.); • absence, pre-approved by the Principal, to visit a college or university; • authorized school-sponsored ac vi es; • emergency situa ons as determined by the school Principal; • absences related to military deployment or military moves; 23
