ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENT FOR ALL
COURSES
We
at Bellefontaine
High School feel that
attendance at school is a vital part of a student’s education. Not only does this insure that a student is
present to receive instruction and assignments, but it also teaches students the
importance of regular attendance when they enter their chosen profession. In addition to this, the State of Ohio’s compulsory
attendance law states that students are to be in school unless there is a valid
excuse for their absence.
In
order to see that this is accomplished, all students will miss no more than
seven classes (block/skinny) per semester.
Students will miss no more than four classes per nine week course (such
as PE, Health, etc.). If one semester or
the other is failed, the year-long skinny class credit will be issued per
semester. It is the responsibility of
the student to collect the required makeup work for ANY absence, including
truancy and Out of School Suspensions.
Unexcused
Absences and Truancy count toward the 7 day absence limit. If a student arrives to school between 8:00
am, start of 1st Period, and 8:45 am, completion of 1st
Period, he/she will be marked as tardy to school. At the completion of 1st Period,
the students are marked as half (1/2) day morning absence. Absences for attendance (C/W) are based on a
period by period attendance.
Parent/Guardian/Medical contact/note is required for an absence to be any
other category besides truant.
Absences
not included in the total allotted days: (2) Preapproved college visits for
juniors and seniors, out of school suspension, incarceration in Juvenile
Detention Center/jail, religious holidays, funeral and court hearings/attorney
meetings with documentation or other school related activities approved
by administration in advance. (2)
Preapproved vacation days for a family vacation. In order to qualify for this absence, the
student will need to turn in a Vacation Form at least three (3) school days
prior to the first date of the vacation.
A
student’s credits are withheld (C/W) when a student exceeds 7 unexcused/truant
absences per semester for a block class and 14 unexcused/truant absences on the
year for a year long class. (Year long
coursed may have credit issued on a semester basis.)
Students
will be required to serve 4 hours of “seat time” to redeem one day, two or more
periods, of absence. If a student only
needs to redeem one period of absence, he/she will need to serve 2 hours of
“seat time”. It is the responsibility of
the student to sign up for after school detention in the main office.
In
case of extenuating circumstances, extensions may be granted by the
administration. Home instruction may be
applied for at 15 consecutive medical absences with proper medical
documentation.
Students
who continue to be absent beyond the limit will be subject to disciplinary
action. Parent conferences, mediations
and/or contacts via the Attendance Officer or Associate Principal, referrals to
Juvenile Court, suspensions or expulsions may be recommended for chronic
offenders who in violation of District Policy or State Attendance
Laws.
Truancy
is defined as being absent from a class or school without authorization from the
administration or parent/guardian.
Truant students will not be eligible for absence extensions. These students are subject to disciplinary
action.
Initial
unexcused/truancy referrals may be made on students to the Juvenile Court when a
student accumulates at least 5 days of absence unless an extension has been
approved by Administration. A court
filing will be made on students by the Associate Principal. The Associate Principal may also file unruly
charges and/or make recommendation for expulsion for truancy and/or excessive
absenteeism.
As
per board policy, any student who misses 10 days consecutively or 15 days
concurrently per semester, may have his/her work permit revoked by the
superintendent.
Parent(s)/guardian(s)
must notify the school on the day a student is absent unless previous
notification has been given in accordance with school procedure for
absences. The principal or his/her
designee is also required to notify a student’s parents, custodial parent,
guardian, legal custodian, or other person responsible for him/her when the
student is absent from school.
The
parent, or other responsible person, shall be notified by telephone on the day
of absence or written notice shall be mailed on the following day the student is
absent if no parent/guardian notification is received by the school. Parents or other responsible persons shall
provide the school with their current home and/or work telephone numbers and
home addresses, as well as emergency telephone numbers.
If
a student arrives to school after the start of first period, 8:00, but prior to
8:45 (the completion of first period), he or she will be marked tardy to
school. Any student arriving to school
after 8:46 but prior to 11:00, the completion of 4th period, will be
marked as a half day morning absence. If
a student arrives to school after 11:00, he/she will be marked as a full day
absence. A student who has attended
school prior to 11:00 and leaves school after 11:00 and prior to 2:25 will be
marked as a half day afternoon absence.
In order to participate in after school related activities, a student
will need to be in school for a minimum for three and a half hours (3 ½).
Any
student who is absent due to an emergency or set of circumstances beyond control
may appeal to the approving authority for permission to participate in
school-related activities that day.
Any
student who arrives after first period has begun and fails to sign-in will be
counted as absent for the entire day, will not be able to participate in after
school-related activities that day, and may received after school detention for
not following sign-in procedure. Any
student arriving after 8:45 a.m. will be counted absent from 1/2 Block. Any absence of twenty minutes or more from
any class will be considered as a class cut/absence. After school detention will be assigned for
cuts. Absence from class occurs when a
student misses more than 10 minutes of a 40 minute class or 20 minutes of an 80
minute class. These absences could be
considered unexcused or truant.
TARDIES
A student is tardy to school when he/she arrives after
the beginning of first period but before 8:45.
If a student is not in their required class prior to the start of the
period, the student will receive a tardy. Tardies to school and class are
tracked separately. Due to unforeseen
circumstances, the Bellefontaine High School administration allows students to
accumulate 3 tardies in each category prior to discipline being issued. The following procedure will be followed
separately in respect to tardiness to school and class (this will be for each
semester):
First
through Third Tardy
Warnings-No Punishment
Fourth
Tardy 1 After School
Detention
Fifth
Tardy 2 After School
Detentions
Sixth Tardy 1 Day
of ISI/Court Notification
Seventh Tardy 2 Days of ISI
Eighth
and each Additional Tardy 3 Days of
ISI
MAKE-UP POLICY FOR
STUDENTS
MAKE-UP
WORK