Students are allowed to have 12 unexcused absences in a full year course and 6 unexcused in a half year course. Absences fall into two categories: Excused and Unexcused.
Excused Absences:
In accordance with Board of Education policy, the following are considered excused absences:
1 – Medical or professional appointments (requires excuse note from doctor, dentist, lab work facility, lawyer, etc);
2 – Student’s acute illness supported by a written letter or e-mail from the student’s parent or guardian upon the student’s return to school;
3 – College visits (see below);
4 – Student’s required attendance in court (excuse note must be provided);
5 – Interviews with prospective employer or with an admissions officer of an institution of higher education (verified by note from employer or institution);
6 – Religious holidays, as provided by state law (N.J.S.A. 18A:36-14 through 16 and N.J.A.C. 6A:32-8.3(j)), upon receipt of written note or e-mail from the student’s parent or guardian;
7 – School approved activities (e.g., assemblies, pep rallies, blood drives) for which the supervising teacher/staff member will provide the excuse confirmation;
8 – Death in the family or attendance at a funeral or memorial service (requiring only a parental/guardian note or e-mail to advise of the reason);
9 – Driving test (verified by showing issued driver’s license or interim license or the test documentation from the Motor Vehicle Agency confirming that a driving test was taken);
10 – In-school suspension; and
11 – Out-of-school suspension.
Excused absence documentation as provided above must be submitted to the Attendance Office to verify excused absences within five to seven (5-7) school days after returning to school.
For absences due to non-school related extracurricular activities (including, but not limited to, travel sports programs, equestrian events, non-school sponsored competitions and music/theater auditions), there are a few options available under school policy, and different teams/organizations tend to supply different things. The most efficient way for student absences to be excused is for the coach of the team, or the club management or group organization, to provide a letter requesting an excused absence for the student by name due to the student’s participation in a specific competition or event. If the coach, club or organization provides a more general letter that does not specifically name the student, the student must provide a copy of the team’s schedule at the event, so the dates can be confirmed, along with a copy of the team roster (which will show the student’s name) to verify that the student is a member of the team participating in the event referenced in the blanket-excuse/general letter provided by the club/organization. If the student participates as an individual in his/her/their sport or activity (e.g., gymnastics, horse shows, swimming, skiing, etc), the student can provide public information on the event (which shows the date(s) involved) in addition to the event or activity schedule showing the student’s name in the events the student is competing/participating in.
Excused absences for long-term or chronic illness, as opposed to acute illness of a viral or bacterial nature, is considered on an individual basis. Students with long-term or chronic conditions should obtain Extended Medical Release Authorization paperwork from the Nurse’s Office so their class absences caused by their specific medical condition can be excused within the established parameters of that program.
To request for an absence to be excused for a reason other than ones routinely recognized under school policy, the request must be made in writing to and pre-approved by the student’s grade-assigned assistant principal.
Unexcused Absences:
Students are not required to bring parental notes to school following an unexcused absence. Parents/guardians, guidance counselors, and the Child Study Team will be notified of a student’s absence following the fourth (4) and seventh (7) unexcused absence in a semester course, and the seventh (7), tenth (10) and thirteenth (13) unexcused absence in a full-year course. Course credit will not be issued if a student exceeds the number of unexcused absences allowed by Board of Education policy (see below).
DAYS MISSED DUE TO FAMILY VACATIONS/TRIPS DO NOT QUALIFY AS EXCUSED ABSENCES.
District Procedure for College Visits:
Students are permitted to go on college visitations during the school day. For these days to be excused absences, the student must:
- Provide written verification of the visit on college letterhead within five (5) school days to the Attendance Office. The college verification must clearly state the student’s name and date of visit. E-mails or communications from the college dated before the visit date (such as registration confirmations and schedule itineraries for an upcoming visit) cannot be used to excuse a student’s absence from school. The college excuse note must be obtained at the time of the visit, and the original note (not a copy) must be turned into the Attendance Office for the student’s absence to be excused. In lieu of a physical excuse document from the college, the Attendance Office can accept a follow-up e-mail from the school thanking the student for visiting or requesting feedback on the day. The follow-up e-mail must be forwarded in its entirety (so that the sender properties are included), must name the student specifically by name, and must include either the date of the visit or have been sent within 2-3 days following it.
- If a college visit requires extensive traveling (i.e., the college is located in a different geographic region/area), a student may have absences excused for travel time only if the travel days are adjacent to the date of the college visit (i.e., the travel day is the day before and/or the day after the visit date).
Loss of Course Credit:
Students with the following unexcused absences will be subject to loss of credit in a course:
- Students who miss more than six (6) classes in a semester course,
and/or
- Students who miss more than twelve (12) classes in a full year course.
Parents/guardians will be sent letters notifying them of a student’s loss of course credit. Guidance counselors and the Child Study Team will also be notified. A student who loses credit because of excessive absences will have his/her grades recorded for each of the four marking periods listed on his/her report card but in lieu of final grades the designation of N/C (no credit granted) will be listed.
Review and Appeal Process:
A student who has lost credit in a course must make all appeals for reinstatement of credit lost due to excessive absence in writing to the administration within ten (10) days of notification.
Making Up Work Following Absences:
A student may make up work following any absence. Upon returning to school after an absence, the student will have two (2) days for each day of absence to make up work unless the student makes other arrangements with his/her teachers. However, all work should be made up within a maximum of ten (10) school days following the student’s return. In the event that illness or recovery limits a student’s workload, at the conclusion of the absence, parents may petition in writing the administrator in charge of attendance for an extension beyond the ten (10) days.
Credit Restoration Program:
Students who lose credit due to excessive absences may earn credit by completing a Summer Credit Restoration Program. Through this option, a student may earn course credit lost, but the grade earned would be decided by the work done during the regular school year. No grade improvement is possible. Students who have failed a course may not use the Summer Credit Restoration option to earn course credit.
