Attendance

School district attendance regulations are based on §1300 of the Pennsylvania Public School Code.

Pennsylvania Attendance Law

Right to an education: All Commonwealth residents between the ages of 6 and 21 are entitled to a free education in the state’s public schools. No student shall be denied access to a free and full public education on account of race, religion, gender, or national origin.

Compulsory attendance: Parents are required to have their children attend an approved school no later than age 6 until the age of 18. Except as otherwise provided by law, compulsory school age refers to the period of a child’s life from the time the child enters school (which may be no later than at the age of 6 years) until the age of 18 or graduation from a high school, whichever occurs first.

School Entrance Age: A child must be five (5) years, zero (0) months by September 1st to be eligible for kindergarten, and six (6) years, zero (0) months by September 1 to be eligible for grade one (1).

Truant: Having three (3) or more school days of unexcused absence during the current school year by a child subject to the compulsory school attendance law.

Habitually Truant: Having six (6) or more school days of unexcused absence during the current school year by a child subject to the compulsory school attendance law.

Highlights of Attendance Policy

A maximum of 10 days of excused absences to include trip days verified by acceptable written parental notification may be permitted during a school year. Excuses can be submitted by email or at the school.
Vacations and family trips (child must be accompanied by an adult): Up to five (5) days each year may be classified as excused for time spent on a vacation or trip. Approval must be requested, in writing, prior to the trip. Permission for family trips to be classified as excused will be denied if the student has accumulated three (3) or more unexcused absences. See page 48 for Absence Make-Up Policy.
After three (3) days of unexcused absence, parents receive a first notice that their child’s attendance is not as required under the rules for compulsory attendance.
If the district magistrate finds that the parents are not guilty in the unexcused absence of their child, the district may prosecute the child if age 13 or older.
Lates are cumulative – excessive lates to school are subject to compulsory attendance laws and will be penalized by CV administration.
Excuse cards signed by the parent are required within three (3) days for all absences. Failure to provide within three (3) days will result in classifying the absence as unexcused.
The school will require a written physician’s excuse in all cases of excessive absences.
“7 Day Letters” will be sent to ALL parents when their child’s absence, excused or unexcused, has reached seven (7) days.

Classification of Absences/Tardies

Excused: School Board policy excuses students from compulsory attendance for all or part of a school day for the following reasons:

Illness
College visits
Prior approved trips/vacations
Religious observance/instruction
Family death
Required court attendance
Family emergency

Building principals have the discretion to excuse up to five (5) absences incurred because of family emergencies. Principals may ask for an explanation of the emergency. Excused absences due to family emergencies will be deducted from the five days of excused absences permitted under the vacations and trips provision of this policy.

Unexcused: Any absence which is not covered under the above definition of an excused absence is classified as unexcused for any students under the age of 18.

Excuse Cards Required: Parents shall submit an attendance note via the Parent Portal or furnish a signed, written explanation for all absences and tardies. The burden of proof for excused absences rests with the parent. If excuse cards are not received within three (3) days after the child returns to school, the absence will be considered unlawful if the child is under 18.

The “7 Day Letter”: After seven (7) days of absence, for any reason, the principal will notify parents confirming those absences. The letter is for informational purposes only.

Physician’s Excuse Required: Any student who has accumulated 10 or more absences (not excused by a physician or the district) will be required to furnish a written physician’s excuse for all subsequent absences. The student must be seen by a medical professional. Failure to do so will result in the absences being recorded as unexcused or unlawful. In addition to the above policy, the district reserves the right to require a physician’s excuse when deemed necessary by the school administration.

Late Arrival: Tardies are classified as excused/unexcused/unlawful using the same criteria for general absences. Students arriving at school after the start of homeroom/first block will be recorded as tardy (arriving two hours or more late will be recorded as half day absence); routine health care appointments are excused. Habitual tardies are subject to the compulsory attendance laws.

Early Dismissal: Early dismissals where students miss two or more hours will be recorded as a half day absence. Otherwise, dismissals less than two hours will be recorded as early dismissals.

Re-entry of Students 18 and Over: Students over the age of compulsory attendance who have withdrawn from school and wish to re-enter may have entry delayed until the start of the next semester. Students who have an IEP will have entry begin within five days and the IEP team will be convened.

Medical & Dental Appointments: Medical/dental appointments should not be scheduled during the instructional day whenever possible. When no other arrangements can be made, a note is to be submitted to the office in advance of the appointment. Students will not be dismissed without written permission. Before leaving, and after returning, students shall report to the office. Excused time will be limited to time for the appointment and normal travel time. Administration may restrict the time and number of these absences.

Vacations & Trips: All trips & vacations are unexcused/illegal unless prior approval is obtained and the child is in the company of an adult for the entire trip.

With approval, a child may be given up to five (5) days of excused absence for trips and vacations. All additional days are unexcused/unlawful. If, at the time the request is received, the student has accumulated three (3) or more unlawful/unexcused absences, the request will be denied.

Such travel requests will not be approved/excused for trips taking place during posted state assessment administration dates.

Penalties for Attendance Violations

When a student accumulates three (3) unlawful absences, parents will be sent what is termed a “First Notice.” Subsequent absences will result in prosecution. After a parent receives a First Notice, the school district will contact the parent/guardian to discuss and develop a plan to improve the child’s attendance.

Unlawful absences are a summary offense addressed under the Pennsylvania Public School Code Compulsory Attendance Law amended by Act 138 of 2016.

Truant students must appear at a hearing before the district justice and stand to lose their driver’s licenses for 90 days (first offense) or six months (second offense). Students who do not have a driver’s license would be ineligible to apply for a learner’s permit for one year.

Parents who cannot show they took reasonable steps to ensure a child’s school attendance may face a monetary fine of $300, mandatory parent education classes, and/or community service assigned by the local magistrate.

Absence Make-Up Policy

Work missed as a result of absence (either individual class or full day) may be made up if:

the absence was excused
the absence was for disciplinary reasons
the absence was unexcused (maximum three days)
he absence was an approved educational trip (regardless of length of absence)

Students should contact teachers on the day returning to school to receive missed assignments.
Students who know of an absence in advance should contact teachers for assignments prior to the absence.
In absences of two weeks or less, the makeup time for assignments is equal to the time absent (e.g. if a student was absent for two days, he/she has two days to make up the missed work). However, long-term assignments made prior to the absence are expected to be completed upon the student’s return to school.
In absences of two weeks or more, the student will have two weeks to make up missed work. Parents or students should contact the school for assignments. Teachers may be contacted directly by e-mail.
An incomplete grade may be given to students who have an extended absence of at least five days in the last two weeks of a marking period.
Incomplete work must be made up within two weeks after the end of the marking period. Discretion may be used for unusual circumstances.
Homework may be requested from the main office by telephone after two or more days of absence due to illness. Please allow 24 hours to process homework requests. Parents and students may also request assignments directly from teachers by email. Email addresses of individual teachers can be found on the Conestoga Valley’s website at www.ConestogaValley.org.

Excuses for Religious Reasons

Class: Parents may submit a written request to the principal to have their child excused from instruction which they oppose on religious grounds. The student will be excused for only that portion of the class and they will be expected to complete alternative assignments. It is the student’s responsibility to remind the teacher of the approved excuse.

School: Parents may submit a written request to the principal to have their child excused from school to observe or participate in a religious activity or to receive religious instruction. Contact the building administration for procedures.

Snow Make-Up Days (in order of use):

February, 13, February 16, March 13, and April 6. Emergency weather announcements are made using an automated phone/text/email system and posted on ConestogaValley.org and Facebook, as well as local radio and television.