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430 - Student Attendance

430

STUDENT ATTENDANCE

The Appleton Area School District believes there is a positive relationship between school attendance and student success. It further believes that school attendance is a responsibility shared by students, parents, schools, and the community. 

The District, in accordance with State law, requires that all students between six and eighteen years of age (and those students enrolled in 5-year-old kindergarten) attend school regularly during the full period and hours, religious holidays excepted, that the school in which the student is enrolled is in session until the end of the school term, quarter or semester of the school year in which the student becomes eighteen years of age, unless they have an acceptable excuse, meet attendance exceptions outlined in state law, or have graduated from high school. Although not required by state law, students in 4-year-old kindergarten are expected to attend 4K programming on a regular basis, and excused and unexcused absences will be determined based on the procedures described in this policy. It is the responsibility of the school district to determine if an absence is excused or unexcused. 

A student will be considered excused for school attendance if the student is considered temporarily not in proper physical or mental condition to attend school, but can be expected to return upon termination or abatement of the illness or condition. The school may request that the parent/guardian obtain a written statement documenting the existing condition. 

Parents and guardians are required to notify the school of an absence prior to or on the day of the absence. Parents and guardians may notify the school of an absence through the parent portal, by telephone, or by email. Excused absences other than a suspension from school require written or verbal approval of the student’s parent or guardian.  Without notification from the parent or guardian, a student's absence will automatically be identified as unexcused within 48 hours of the absence. 

All students with excused absences will be given the opportunity to make up class assignments missed during the absence, including tests. It is the student's responsibility to contact the teacher(s) to make arrangements for making up the work missed during an absence from school.

A student who has reached the age of 16 years and meets the criteria established in Wisconsin Statutes may also be excused from school attendance to participate in programs leading to high school graduation or high school equivalency. 

Attendance for students participating in non-traditional school programs will be recorded in accordance with the program components.

No student shall be denied credit in a course or subject solely because of an excused or unexcused absence.

 

Cross References:
At-Risk Plan 342.2
Graduation Requirements 345.6
Student Records 347
Student Nondiscrimination 411.2
Communicable Diseases 453.3

Legal References:
Wisconsin Statutes 115.76, 118.125, 118.13, 118.14, 118.15, 118.153, 118.155, 118.16, 118.162, and 118.33

Adoption Date: June 26, 1993

Amended Dates: November 28, 2005, January 25, 2010, June 10, 2013, September 23, 2013, February 9, 2015, January 25, 2016, September 9, 2019, and April 27, 2026

 

 

430-Rule

STUDENT ATTENDANCE

Procedures

SCHOOL ATTENDANCE OFFICER

The building principal or designee shall serve as the school attendance officer for each school in the District. The school attendance officer shall be responsible for all matters relating to school attendance and truancy. The school attendance officer of each school shall ensure that daily attendance is taken, the parent/guardian is informed of school absences, and the parent/guardian is able to review a student’s attendance record.

The school attendance officer shall ensure the accuracy of student attendance data and provide such data for purposes authorized by State Law and in accordance with Board Policy. Student attendance data is submitted to the Department of Public Instruction annually.

STUDENT ABSENCES

The District, in accordance with State law, requires that all students between six and eighteen years of age (and those students enrolled in 5-year-old kindergarten) attend school regularly during the full period and hours, religious holidays excepted, that the school in which the student is enrolled is in session, unless they have a reasonable excuse.  Although not required by state law, students enrolled in 4-year-old kindergarten are expected to attend on a regular basis.

The primary responsibility for regular school attendance of a student rests with the student's parent/guardian.

The District works to promote positive attendance by:

  • Sharing attendance information in the school handbook and district newsletters.
  • Promoting the importance of regular school attendance.
  • Working with local businesses to stress the importance of graduating from high school.
  • Partnering with families and community agencies.

EXCUSED ABSENCES

A parent/guardian may excuse a student for up to 10 days during the school year. These 10 days include absences due to intermittent illness. After a student has been absent 10 or more days, the school may require a medical note for future absences to be considered excused. Parents/guardians will be notified by letter if medical documentation is required for further absences.  When students are absent from class due to school-related activities, this does not count towards the 10 days.

Parents/guardians are expected to notify the school of an absence each day that the student is not in attendance in order for the absence to be excused.  Notification can be submitted through the parent portal, by phone, or by email. If the school does not receive notice within 48 hours, the absence will be marked unexcused.

In accordance with State Law, a student will be considered absent for a full day if they are gone more than two-thirds of a school day.  In alignment with District Attendance Policies, individual period absences over multiple days cumulating to more than one day will also be counted as a full day absence. 

CHRONIC MEDICAL ABSENCES

If a student has a chronic medical condition that impacts school attendance, the parent/guardian may request that a Chronic Medical Condition Absence form be completed by the student’s medical provider or Christian Science Practitioner residing in the state and registered in the Christian Science Journal. This form is required to be updated every 30 calendar days and should be submitted to the School Nurse. This form can be found on the District website.

EXTENDED ABSENCES

The Board of Education delegates discretion to administration to grant excusals for an emergency in the family or unique circumstances that require the absence of the student because of family responsibilities, not to exceed 20 school days. The school attendance officer or designee is authorized to approve extended excused absences for any student for the following reasons: 

  • Chronic medical condition as described above
  • An emergency in the family, a unique circumstance, or another crisis that requires the absence of the student because of family responsibilities
  • Religious holidays
  • A quarantine imposed by a public health officer or the Board of Education’s Communicable Disease Policy
  • A suspension from school (in-school or out-of-school suspensions)
  • A student who serves as an election official if the student has a grade point average of 3.0 or higher  

A student will not be excused from attending school solely because of behavior challenges, academic difficulties, or a disability as defined by Wisconsin State Statute 115.76.

TRUANCY
Wisconsin State Statute 118.16 defines truancy as a student missing part of or all of a school day, without an excuse from a parent or guardian. It also means intermittent attendance carried on for the purpose of defeating the intent of the compulsory attendance law. 

HABITUAL TRUANCY

Wisconsin State Statute 118.16 defines habitual truancy as a student missing part or all of five or more school days in a semester without an acceptable excuse.

TRUANCY PLAN

The following procedures are to be followed for notifying and meeting with parents or guardians regarding the unexcused absences of habitually truant students under Wisconsin State Statute 118.16(2)(cr):

If a student has five or more unexcused absences, all or part of a school day, in a semester, making them habitually truant, the school attendance officer may send a letter home by mail. The letter will include:

  • A reminder that parents/guardians are responsible for making sure their child attends school regularly (as required by Wisconsin State Statute 118.15)
  • Information about possible program or schedule changes that may better support the student
  • Information about programs for students who may be at risk of falling behind
  • A request for a meeting with the school staff to talk about the attendance concerns
  • The name of the staff member to meet with
  • A date, time, and location for the meeting
  • Contact information if the meeting needs to be rescheduled
  • Information about your rights and responsibilities under state law

When a student has been identified as habitually truant, and the School Attendance Officer has determined that a truancy plan is warranted, the school team, along with the parents/guardians, will meet to discuss next steps to return the student to regular school attendance. The school will consider support options such as:

  • Alternative or at-risk programs
  • Academic supports (mentoring, check-in/check-out systems, intervention groups)
  • Work-study or job training programs
  • Student Assistance Program (SAP)
  • Homebound instruction (if the student qualifies)
  • Outside educational service providers
  • Transferring to another district school

The school will take measures to determine whether learning problems or social problems may be a factor in the child’s truancy, and if so, take steps to address these issues and make appropriate referrals to school-based or community supports. All steps taken will be documented in the student’s record. The District will follow state law and work closely with families to address attendance concerns. In partnership with Human Services and community agencies, the District may offer:

  • Parent education programs
  • Family support groups
  • Family-based services
  • Community resources 

OPEN ENROLLED STUDENTS - HABITUAL TRUANCY

Before the District can prohibit a student who is open-enrolled from another school district from attending in the next semester or school year, the District will take the steps below.

When the student enrolls, the district will provide:

  • The District’s Student Attendance Policy
  • How habitual truancy can affect open enrollment
  • A simple explanation of the definition of truancy, including what counts as missing “part of a school day”
  • How and where parents/guardians can view their student’s attendance record

The District will notify parents or guardians of attendance concerns. Further, when an attendance concern letter is issued, parents/guardians will be notified that a student’s open enrollment could be ended if they are habitually truant.

Parents and students will receive a list of all unexcused absences that led to the consideration of prohibiting the open-enrolled student from attending the next semester or school year.

Parents or students can explain if they believe there was a mistake in marking an absence as truancy, following the process in the Board’s attendance policy.

SCHOOL OF CHOICE

When a resident student attends a school other than their designated neighborhood school through the school of choice program, they are subject to compliance with the attendance policy.  If the student is habitually truant in their school of choice, the district may then return the student to their neighborhood school. 

Parents/guardians will be notified prior to the semester that the student will be designated to attend their resident neighborhood school at the start of the next semester/school year.

VIRTUAL SCHOOL ATTENDANCE

Wisconsin Compulsory School Attendance statutes and the Student Attendance Policy apply to virtual students.  Student attendance in virtual school is monitored and recorded. The District shall notify parents of concerns about attendance. The student handbook for each respective virtual school further delineates attendance and participation requirements.

APPEALS TO OPEN ENROLLMENT DECISIONS MADE BASED ON HABITUAL TRUANCY OR VIRTUAL CHARTER STUDENTS’ FAILURE TO PARTICIPATE

A nonresident student's parent/guardian may appeal to the DPI a rejection of the student's full-time open enrollment in the District based on the student's habitual truancy or a transfer back to the resident school district based upon the failure to participate.

REFERRAL TO THE CITY OF APPLETON

The City of Appleton's truancy ordinance enforces the State statute for students aged 14 through 17.

A student will be considered for referral to the City of Appleton for a truancy ordinance violation if and when the following conditions are met:

  • The student has met the legal definition of truancy, which is having five or more unexcused absences, all or part of a day, in a semester
  • In addition to being habitually truant, the student is chronically absent from school (missing more than 10% of school days)
  • Multiple student and/or family contacts have been documented on the “procedural checklist for consideration of truancy citation” form
  • Intervention efforts have failed to improve a student's attendance, and the student is unwilling to engage in further interventions.   Intervention efforts are documented on the “procedural checklist for consideration of truancy citation” form
  • The student is currently not on pace to graduate due to absences.  A student is considered not to be on pace to graduate if they have not acquired three credits in each semester they have been enrolled in high school  
  • The student is failing one or more courses during the current semester due to absences

When all of the above conditions are met, the school attendance team will notify the District Attendance Coordinator. The Attendance Coordinator will conduct a final review with the Executive Director of Student Services before referring the matter to the City of Appleton.  

The AASD commits to maintaining referral levels that do not exceed the capacity of the Outagamie County Circuit Court and/or the City of Appleton staff. 

CONTRIBUTING TO TRUANCY 

Wisconsin State Statute 948.45 indicates that any person 17 years of age or older who knowingly encourages or contributes to the truancy of a person 17 years of age or under, as defined under s.118.16 (1) (c), could be issued a citation for contributing to the truancy of a minor.

TARDINESS

Procedures and criteria previously described for determining if an absence is excused or unexcused apply to students who are tardy. The school attendance officer is responsible for the classification of tardiness in accordance with district procedures as established for each level in the District, which are described in this policy, and communicated with students and parents/guardians through publications such as the Student Handbook.  Frequent tardiness can have a negative impact on student success and may result in a parent/guardian conference to address the related concerns. 

In grades K-5, a student will be marked tardy, not absent, if they are not present at school at the start of the school day and are in their assigned classroom by 8:45 am. A student not present in school after 8:45 am will be marked absent for the morning period.

In grades 6–12, a student will be marked tardy, not absent, if they are not present at the start of an instructional period and are in the classroom within 10 minutes of the beginning of class. A student reporting to class 10 minutes or more after the start of class, or who leaves and does not return to class, will be marked out of compliance for the instructional period. 

SUSPENSIONS FROM SCHOOL

Suspensions from school are excused absences. During a period of suspension, a student shall not be on the school campus or at any school activity. When a parent/guardian/legal custodian has a meeting with an administrator, the student may be present.

Students will be afforded opportunities to complete missed assignments and examinations. Guidelines for these opportunities are provided in the section titled “Make-up Assignments, Examinations, Grading and Credit.”

MAKE-UP ASSIGNMENTS, EXAMINATIONS, GRADING, AND CREDIT

All students with excused and unexcused absences shall be given the opportunity to make up examinations and work missed in accordance with the guidelines outlined below. Credit in a course or subject shall not be denied solely because of a student's excused or unexcused absence from school. Districts are required to specify the conditions under which a student may be permitted to take examinations missed during absences. They are also required to specify conditions under which a suspended student will be permitted to complete coursework and take any quarter, semester, or grading period examinations. These District guidelines follow: 

Excused Absences and Suspensions

  • Students who are absent from school for reasons that are determined to be excused by the school attendance officer shall be given the opportunity to make up missed work when they return to school. It is the student's or parent’s/guardian’s responsibility to contact the teacher to make arrangements for making up work missed during an absence from school. The respective teacher shall identify the make-up work. 

If any question arises as to the appropriateness or feasibility of making up a particular assignment or timelines, the teacher shall discuss with the building principal the extent to which make-up work or substitute assignments are possible.

  • Students with a pre-planned absence from school that has been excused by a parent/guardian are required to make up work missed during the absence. The arrangements for making up coursework and examinations shall be the same as for other excused absences. 
  • Examinations missed during an excused absence shall be taken within a reasonable time from the date of the absence. Students can be expected to make arrangements with their teacher. 

Unexcused Absences

All students with unexcused absences shall be given the opportunity to make up work and examinations missed in accordance with the guidelines outlined above under “Excused Absences and Suspensions”.

Credit in a course or subject shall not be denied solely because of a student's unexcused absence from school.

COMMUNICABLE DISEASE AND IMMUNIZATIONS

Students who have communicable diseases as defined by the Department of Public Health, and students who do not have their required immunizations or waivers for the same, may be excluded from school in accordance with state law and Board of Education policies. Students will not be permitted to return to school until medical clearance is provided.  

Communicable diseases that commonly are associated with school exclusion include rubeola (red measles), parotitis (mumps), varicella (chicken pox), pertussis (whooping cough), rubella (German measles), or Hepatitis. The presence of head lice or impetigo with no other factors does not result in exclusion from school. 

RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION

With written permission of the parent/guardian, students may be absent from school for at least 60 minutes but not more than 180 minutes per week to obtain religious instruction outside the school during required school attendance. Permission to be absent may be withdrawn if the student does not attend the religious instruction. 

EIGHTEEN-YEAR-OLD STUDENTS

When a student turns 18, they are legally considered an adult. This means the rights that once belonged to the parent or guardian now belong to the student.  Students who are 18 or older are not required by law to attend school. However, if they choose to stay enrolled, they must follow all school attendance rules. The school will continue to include parents or guardians in phone calls and written notices about attendance concerns unless the adult student submits a written request to the principal asking that their parent or guardian no longer be included.

 If a student is not in the regular school setting, they must be enrolled in an approved alternative education program in order to qualify for a diploma

STUDENT PARTICIPATION IN PROGRAM LEADING TO HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA (118.153)

If a student is 16 years old or older and is considered “at-risk” under state law, they may be able to attend a technical college instead of the traditional high school setting (either full-time or part-time). To do this:

  • The student must request approval from the district administration
  • A parent or guardian must give written permission
  • The technical college program must lead to high school graduation
  • The student must agree to report progress to the district administration

If a student is 17 years old or older, they may be excused from regular school attendance to work toward a high school equivalency diploma (such as a GED) if:

  • They began that program while placed in a secure correctional facility, secure student care facility, secure detention center, or the juvenile section of a county jail, or
  • The student requests approval from the district administration, and the parent or guardian provides written permission.

MEDICAL EXCUSE FROM ATTENDING CLASSES

Students who have a medical reason to be excused from specific classes shall obtain a written statement from their physician.  The statement shall include the reason for the request and the period of time the student is to be excused. The statement shall include restricted activities, as well as any appropriate accommodations or alternative activities.  It is suggested that the parent/guardian use the District document titled Physical Education/Recess Activity Excuse Form or provide documentation from the student’s medical provider.

Attendance by the student through partial participation will be expected and encouraged.  However, if the teacher, in consultation with the principal, believes that another educational setting in the school would be more appropriate during the class period, then the student may be reassigned. 

The medical statement will be maintained in the student’s behavioral file, with a copy provided to the teacher.

Students in Grades 6 through 12 - Students who are excused by a physician for more than 10 school days in a quarter grading period may receive a Withdrawal, Incomplete, or grade that will be computed as part of the student’s grade point average.  Students who receive a Withdrawal will be required to retake the class if required for graduation.  Students who receive an Incomplete will be required to complete the coursework within the designated timeline and subsequently receive a grade. The principal and teacher will determine which option will apply.  

Principals have the authority to waive courses for seniors who have a medical condition and excuse that may prevent them from graduating. Other means to obtain the necessary credit(s) will be pursued prior to a waiver being granted.  

HOMEBOUND INSTRUCTION FOR ABSENT STUDENTS

Students who are unable to attend school due to a persistent health condition that will result in 30 consecutive school days of absence, or frequent absences of a shorter duration that cumulatively will extend beyond 30 school days in a school semester, may qualify for homebound instruction. Written verification by a medical provider using the Department of Public Instruction Homebound Instruction Physician’s Statement and the District Chronic Medical Condition Absence Form will be required, but does not guarantee homebound instruction. The homebound decision for a student with a disability shall be made by the IEP team and, for students without a disability, by the executive director of student services in consultation with the building principal and the school nurse. 

TEACHER RESPONSIBILITIES 

Teachers are responsible for recording accurate attendance and submitting attendance reports as required by each school. Teachers shall not deny credit in a course or subject solely because of a student’s absence from school.

APPEALS TO THIS POLICY

Appeals to administrative decisions pertaining to this policy shall initially be reviewed at the school by the principal. If the parent/guardian or student disagrees, the appropriate assistant superintendent of School Services should be contacted.   

  • Series 400: Students