Reporting an Absence

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We have some important updates to our school attendance procedures and tracking codes for the upcoming school year. To ensure the safety and academic success of all students, it is vital that we maintain accurate, up-to-date attendance records.

Please note that according to the updated state statute, parents or guardians now have a strict timeline of 3 days to report and verify an absence after the absence occurs. You can call in up to one week ahead of time to report an expected absence. Absence codes can not be changed after that time.  If there are extenuating circumstances that prevented you from calling in on time, you can reach out to your school principal.

To help you understand your child's attendance record, please review the complete list of our current attendance codes and definitions below:

• A (Unverified Absence): No contact is made by a parent or guardian to excuse an absence.
• G (Verified Absence): A parent or guardian provides a reason for the absence, but it does not fall into the approved "excused" categories outlined in Section 3 of our policy.
• E (Excused Absence): A parent or guardian provides a reason that qualifies as "excused."  Those reasons are listed below.
• H (Homebound Instruction): The student is placed on formal "homebound" schooling due to a documented inability to attend classes in person.
• L (Late): The student arrives to school more than 20 minutes after the start of the day (elementary) or more than 10 minutes after the start of a class period (secondary).
• R (Left Early): The student is checked out by a parent or guardian and leaves before the end of the school day (elementary) or class period (secondary).
• X (Suspension): The student has been placed on a formal suspension by the school administration.
• S (School Excusal): The student is missing class for approved school-related business (e.g., meetings with counselors, social workers, administrators, or school events). This is not counted as an absence for chronic absenteeism or eligibility.
• Z (Truant): The student is absent without a valid excuse for at least half of the school day (elementary) or half of an instructional period (secondary).
• T (Tardy): The student arrives after the start bell but before 20 minutes have passed (elementary) or before 10 minutes have passed (secondary).

Please note: Sluffing a class, (not being in class when required), is a form of truancy. Even if the student does not miss enough time to trigger a "Z" truancy code, they will still face standard school disciplinary actions.

A student absence may have an absence ‘excused’ when supported by parent communication to the school for the following reasons:

• Personal illness (mental or physical);
• Mental or behavioral health;
• Family death;
• School-sponsored activities;
• An absence due to the needs of a child’s IEP or 504;
• Competition in a rodeo sanctioned by an international, non-profit organization dedicated to the development of sportsmanship, horsemanship, and character in youth through the sport of rodeo;
• Family event if the parent submits a written statement at least one school day prior to the scheduled absence, and the student agrees to make up coursework for the days missed; or
• Any reason a parent of a secondary student provides to justify a student's absence, provided they call on the day of the absence and no more than 5 days prior to the absence, if the student maintains a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0, including an event related to participation in the following clubs:
  • (A)mountain biking;
  • (B)shooting sports; or
  • (C)a youth development program Utah State University administers, which provides educational experiences in areas including agriculture, science, technology, engineering, mathematics, civic engagement, leadership, and healthy living through hands-on learning, mentoring, and community-based clubs or activities.

Thank you for your cooperation and partnership in keeping our students on track. Please reach out to the main office if you have any questions.