Peoria Public Schools, District 150                                                                                   7:70 AP

Students – Administrative Procedure

1. Requests by students to be absent from school shall be granted by principals or his/her designee only under the provisions provided for in The School Code of Illinois.

2. A student’s parent(s)/guardian(s) must authorize all absences and notify the school 48 hours in advance when situations require pre-approval notices, otherwise at the time of the student’s absence.

3. Requests by students to be absent from school to make visits to college campuses and job interviews shall be granted only in accordance with District practice (up to five days total).

4. Requests by students to be absent from school for the following reasons will be considered excused absences:

   • illness

   • observance of religious holiday (with 48 hours’ notice requested)

   • death in the immediate family

   • family emergency

   • visits to college campuses and job interviews (with 48 hours’ notice requested)

   • situations beyond the student’s control as determined by the Board of Education

   • other circumstances which cause reasonable concern to the parent for the safety or health of the student.

5. It shall be the responsibility of the student to complete all make-up work within the time limits established by school personnel

6. Requests by students to be absent from school during the semester examinations shall be denied.

1. Students who are absent for reasons other than listed under excused absences shall but be considered an unexcused.

2. The following reasons will be considered unexcused absences:

• No phone call or note to explain reason for absence

• Returning to school after a number of consecutive absence without a valid doctor’s note

• Absences due to suspension/expulsion

• Missing the bus

• Oversleeping/alarm problems

• Transportation issues

• Any other reason that does not fit the excused category

Suspended students shall be given a zero, but they should be allowed to make up the assignment(s)/test/work and shall receive a grade of 50% if the work is completed.  Students with an unexcused absence shall be given a zero, but they shall be allowed to make up the work for full credit.  At the high school level, after nine (9) unexcused absences, the student automatically fails the course for that grading period. (See 6:280AP) 

These students shall be permitted to make up such work as is required for course completion, such as book reports, term papers, or projects. A makeup date will be assigned by the teacher and the grade recorded for that date, not the original date when the student had an unexcused absence.

Routine daily assignments may also be completed by the student, if required by the teacher. A makeup date will be assigned by the teacher and the grade recorded for that date, not the original date when the student had an unexcused absence.

What constitutes a full-day of student attendance?
A full-day of attendance for students in grades 2nd through 12, must be a minimum of five clock hours (300 minutes) of instruction under the direct supervision of: (1) a certified teacher or (2) non-teaching/ volunteer personnel when engaging in non-teaching duties and supervising those instances specified in Section 10-22.34(a) and Section 34-18.

A full-day of attendance for students in full-day Kindergarten or 1st grade must be four clock hours (240 minutes) of instruction or more.

Adverse weather conditions causing an interrupted day or delayed start to the day as well as a condition which occurs beyond the control of the school which poses a hazardous threat to health and safety of students does not prevent a school from recording a full-day of attendance for students that were present; however, the school must provide at least 60 minutes of instruction.

Statutory Citations: 105 ILCS 5/18-8.05(F) (1), (F) (2) (b), 5/18-12 and 5/10-22.34 Administrative Rule: 23 Ill. Admin. Code Part 1.420(f) (4) (B)

What constitutes a half-day of student attendance?
On a regular school day, students in grades 2nd through 12 that receive less than 300 minutes of instruction but at least 150 minutes of instruction can be claimed for a half-day of attendance. Students in grades 2nd through 12 that are not in attendance for at least 150 minutes of instruction cannot be claimed.

On a regular school day, students in full-day Kindergarten or 1st grade that receive less than 240 minutes of instruction but at least 120 minutes of instruction can be claimed for a half- day of attendance. Students who are in Kindergarten or 1st grade and are not in attendance for at least 120 minutes of instruction cannot be claimed.

This rule also applies to students with disabilities who are below the age of six years and who cannot attend 120 minutes of instruction due to their disability or immaturity in which case they can be claimed for a half-day of attendance for a session of not less than 60 minutes.

A recognized Kindergarten which provides for only half-day of attendance for each student shall not have more than a half-day of attendance counted in any one day.

Statutory Citations: 105 ILCS 5/18-8.05(F) (2) (f) (g) and (h) Administrative Rule: 23 Ill. Admin. Code Part 1.420(f) (4) (A) 

1. Actions to be taken when absences occur:

2nd student absence (excused and/or unexcused):

• The teacher will make a phone call to parent/guardian for the purpose of relationship building and explaining the importance of good attendance.

• When the student returns to school, the teacher will talk with the student about the importance of being in school every day.

4th student absence (excused and/or unexcused):

• The teacher will makes a phone call to parent/guardian for the purpose of relationship building and making an inquiry concerning absences.

• When the student returns to school, the teacher will talk with the student about the importance of being in school every day.

5th student excused and/or unexcused absence:

• The Principal/designee will send a letter to the parent/guardian, notifying them that their student has missed 5 days of school.

• For K-8 students, the Principal will make a referral to Project TARGET upon the student’s 5th unexcused absence.

7th student absence (excused and/or unexcused):

• The K-8 Principal/certified designee will call the parent/guardian to set up a conference to discuss absences and to develop an intervention plan/contract to increase school attendance.

• The high school Principal/certified designee will call the parent/guardian between 7-10 absences to set up a conference to discuss absences and to develop an intervention plan/contract to increase school attendance.

• If the parent cannot be contacted or does not respond, the Principal will do one of the following:

  • Make a home visit.

  • Send a letter requesting the parent to call immediately to set up a conference.

  • Meet with the student and ask the student to contact the parent in case they have an alternative phone number and develop an Intervention Plan/contract with the parent/guardian over the phone.

9th student excused/unexcused absence:

• The Principal will send a letter to the parent/guardian requesting a conference to develop an attendance intervention plan/attendance contract if one has not already been held. The Principal will explain to the parent/guardian/student that a doctor’s note may be requested after the 10th

   

9th student unexcused absence:

• The Principal/certified designee sends a letter informing the parent/guardian that their student has accumulated 9 unexcused absences, which identifies their student as a Chronic Truant as defined by the Illinois State Board of Education.

• For K-8 students, the Principal will contact Project TARGET, notifying them of the student’s 9 unexcused absences.

   

10th student excused or unexcused absence:

• The Principal/certified designee will notify the parent/guardian if it is determined that a doctor’s note needs to be requested for future absences.

18th student excused or unexcused absence:

• The K-8 Principal/certified designee will send a letter to the parent/guardian informing them that their student has missed 18 days and the ramifications of such.

• The high school Principal/certified designee will send a letter to the parent/guardian notifying them their student has missed 18 days of school and that their student is in jeopardy of being dropped for the current semester due to excessive absences.

• High school students may be dropped after 20 absences (not including suspensions or medical absences) if interventions and an attendance contract have been unsuccessful and there is approval of the Superintendent/designee.
  

• Dropping students for excessive absences:

• High School students who exceed 20 absences in a semester are subject to being dropped for the remainder of the semester, forfeiting semester credits only if the following apply:

• Documented interventions have been exhausted

• The absences are not for reasons of medical or suspensions

• There is approval of the Superintendent or his/her designee
  

• Primary/Middle/High School students:

After 20 or more consecutive absences, a K-12 student may be dropped to "unknown" if one or more of the following apply:

• The principal and his/her designee is unable to make contact with the student's parent/guardian and all efforts have been exhausted including, but not limited to the following:  phone calls, letters, and home visits.

• The principal has verification that the student no longer resides in the Peoria Public School District AND has not received a request for records from another district.

In both of the above, the principal must receive approval from the superintendent or his/her designee. 

When a student is registered but does not show up on the first day of school, the student is to be marked absent for any day that they do not attend for the first 10 days of school.  When the student attends school for the first time in the school year, change the enrollment date to the first day that he or she actually attends school and delete the previous absences if this occurs within the first 10 days of school.  If the student does not enroll after the first 10 days, Research will reclassify the student as inactive until he/she attends and delete the previous absences.  No absences and/or membership days will be assigned to the student until he/she actually attends school. 

A student may be dropped only after another school requests the student’s records. When the school receives the request, the drop is to be recorded retroactively to the last day the student attended before moving from the school.  If, during the school year, a parent notifies the school they are moving, do not drop the student until a request for records have been made by the receiving school. If a request for records is not received, follow the procedure in section V. B above after 20 consecutive days.

1. Absences to Take Part in Extra Curricular Activities

While it may, occasionally, be necessary for the principal to approve the release of students from regularly scheduled classes to take part in extracurricular activities, this practice is to be held to a minimum.

Absences may be approved for participation in competitive events sponsored by District 150 or regularly scheduled through state organizations like the Illinois High School Association with which the District has official affiliation. Absences may be approved for national or international competition such as is held for speech, debate, cheerleading and vocational education providing qualification for such competition was secured through successful state competition. District 150 will not be obligated for any expense incurred.

The principal or a district-wide sponsor of the extra-curricular activity may, with the concurrence of the Associate Superintendent may approve other school-sponsored trips to be accomplished primarily when school is not in session. These trips will be considered for approval if the experiences are an integral part of the school curriculum and contribute to the District’s desired educational goals. Each trip authorization shall be based on written rationale of the travel’s educational value as well as safety and welfare of the students involved. The principal must assure the District that adequate supervision is provided. The District will not be obligated for an expense incurred, with the possible exception of the cost of a substitute, if needed.