FILE CODE: 5113
SPRINGFIELD TWP. BOARD OF EDUCATION JOBSTOWN, NEW JERSEY CRITICAL POLICY REFERENCE MANUAL
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In order for the board of education to fulfill its responsibility for providing a thorough and efficient education for each pupil, the complete cooperation of parents/guardians and pupils is required to maintain a high level of school attendance.
The frequent absence of pupils from classroom learning experiences disrupts the continuity of the instructional process and limits the ability of pupils to complete the prescribed curriculum requirements successfully.
A pupil must be in attendance for 168 or more school days in order to be considered to have successfully completed the instructional program requirements of the grade/course to which he/she is assigned.
A waiver of these attendance requirements may be granted for good cause by the school principal upon recommendation of a review committee, appointed by him/her, and consisting of representative staff, including pupil service personnel and classroom teachers.
In recommending the granting of a waiver of this attendance requirement, the review committee will consider the true nature and causes of all absences rather than only that in excess of the days. Documentation of the nature and causes of these absences shall be the responsibility of the pupil and parent/guardian.
Parents/guardians are responsible for notifying the school early in the day when a child will be absent and for informing the school of the reason for the absence.
It will be the policy of the board of education to consider the effectiveness and appropriateness to his/her needs of the educational program that is offered each pupil who is habitually and repeatedly absent from his/her assigned program and to consult with the child study team for its recommendations.
The board of education considers the following as cause for excused absence:
A. Disabling illness
B. Recovery from accident
C. Required court attendance
D. Death in the family
E. Religious observance—In accordance with statute, no pupil absent for religious observance of a day recognized by the commissioner of education or this board of education shall be charged with an unexcused absence, deprived of an award or eligibility/opportunity to compete for an award, or of the right to take an alternate to a test of examination missed through such absence.
F. Such good cause as may be acceptable to the principal.
There are varying situations, which may justify release of certain pupils from school before the normal time for closing. Such situations are justifiable only if the release does not jeopardize the pupil’s educational program the reasons for such release can be shown to have positive benefits for the pupil.
The board of education recognizes that from time to time compelling circumstances will require that a pupil be late to school or dismissed before that end of the school day.
As agent responsible for the education of the children of this district, the board of education will require that the school be notified in advance of such absences by written request of the pupil’s parent/guardian, which will state the reason for the tardiness of early dismissal. Justifiable reasons may include:
A. Medical or dental appointments which cannot be scheduled outside of school hours;
B. Medical disability;
C. Family emergency;
D. Court appearance;
E. Such good cause as may be acceptable to the administration.
No pupil in grades kindergarten through six will be permitted to leave the school before the close of the school day unless he/she is met in the school office by his/her parent/guardian or a person authorized by the parent/guardian to act in his/her behalf.
Tardiness not covered by the causes listed will be cumulative, and may affect course credit.
A record will be kept indicating the legal custodian of each pupil. Such custodian will be responsible for informing the chief school administrator of any change in the pupil’s custodian. If one parent/guardian will present to the principal a letter authorizing him/her to accompany the child from school before the child may be released to him/her. The principal may take such steps as seem necessary to ensure that the child is released only to proper custody.
A. If daily attendance records indicate a child is absent, and the parent/guardian has not called, a designated person will attempt to contact them.
B. If no telephone contact can be made, the attendance officer will investigate.
C. If the attendance officer cannot locate the child, he/she will inform the principal, who will inform the appropriate local authorities.
D. If a child who was present in the morning is absent after lunch, the same procedure will be followed.
Whenever the chief school administrator receives notice from the Missing Persons Unit that a child has been reported missing, he/she will mark the child’s records in such a way that whenever a copy of or information regarding the record is requested, district personnel will be aware that the record is that of a missing child. If a copy of a marked school record is requested, the chief school administrator will supply the record to the requestor without alerting him/her to the fact that the records has been marked, according to provisions in code and statute on accessing pupil records. After the chief school administrator has complied with the request for copies of records or information, he/she
will immediately report the inquiry or any knowledge as to the whereabouts of the missing child to the Missing Persons Unit.
The chief school administrator will develop procedures for the attendance of pupils.
Previous Policy: #7100 and #7400
Original Date Adopted: June 26, 1985
Date Adopted as Policy #5113: May 30, 2000
Legal References:
N.J.S.A. 18A:35-49 Pupil promotion and remediation; policies and procedures
N.J.S.A. 18A:36-14, -15, -16 Religious holidays; absence of pupils on; effect…
N.J.S.A. 18A:36-19a Newly enrolled students; records and identification
N.J.S.A. 18A:36-24 Missing children; legislative findings and declarations…
N.J.S.A. 18A:38-25 Attendance required of children between six and 16;
exceptions
N.J.S.A. 18A:38-26 Days when attendance required; exceptions
N.J.S.A. 18A:38-27 Truancy and juvenile delinquency defined
N.J.S.A. 18A:38-31 Violations of article by parents or guardians; penalties
N.J.S.A. 18A:38-32 District and county vocational school attendance officers
N.J.S.A. 18A:40-7 Exclusion of pupils who are ill
N.J.S.A. 18A:40-8 Exclusion of pupils whose presence is detrimental to health and cleanliness
N.J.S.A. 18A:40-11 Exclusion of pupils having communicable tuberculosis
N.J.S.A. 18A:40-10 Exclusion of teachers and pupils exposed to disease.
N.J.S.A. 18A:46-16, -17 Exclusion of pupils pending examination and classification…
N.J.S.A. 52:17B-9.8a Marking of missing child’s school record
through –9.8c