Attendance

Conestoga Valley School District's attendance procedures 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 unlawful 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 unlawful absence during the current school year by a child subject to the compulsory school attendance law.

Chronically Absent: Having ten (10) or more school days of lawful absences during current school year. 

Highlights of Attendance Policy

• Lawful absences may include:
  • Illness, including if a student is dismissed by designated district staff during school hours for health-related reasons.[3][6]
  • Obtaining professional health care or therapy service rendered by a licensed practitioner of the healing arts in any state, commonwealth or territory.[3]
  • Quarantine.
  • Family emergency
  • Recovery from accident.
  • Required court attendance.
  • Death in family.
  • Participation in a project sponsored by a statewide or countywide 4-H, FFA or combined 4-H and FFA group, upon prior written request.[1][3]
  • Participation in a musical performance in conjunction with a national veterans’ organization or incorporated unit, as defined in law, for an event or funeral.[3]
    • The national veterans’ organization or incorporated unit must provide the student with a signed excuse, which shall include the date, location, and time of the event or funeral.
    • The student shall furnish the signed excuse to the district prior to being excused from school.
  • Observance of a religious holiday observed by a bona fide religious group, upon prior written request from the person in parental relation.[28]
  • Nonschool-sponsored educational tours or trips, if the following conditions are met:[3][29]
    • The person in parental relation submits the required documentation for excusal prior to the absence, within the appropriate timeframe.
    • The student's participation has been approved by the Superintendent or designee.
    • The adult directing and supervising the tour or trip is acceptable to the person in parental relation and the Superintendent.
  • College or postsecondary institution visit, with prior approval.
  • Other urgent reasons that may reasonably cause a student’s absence, as well as circumstances related to homelessness, foster care and other forms of educational instability.
• Non School Trip/Tour/Activity Requests: A written request must be submitted to your building's attendance secretary/administrator prior to a trip. Absences may be classified as unlawful if the student has been identified as habitually truant or chronically absent.
  • If lawful absences are planned during state assessment windows, the school may need to request official state approval to administer an exam outside of the designated test-taking window. 
• 3-Day Truant Notice: After three (3) days of unlawful absences, parents receive a notice that their child’s attendance is considered truant under the rules for compulsory attendance. A School Attendance Improvement Plan (SAIP) must be completed at this point. 
• 6 Day Habitually Truant Notice: After six (6) days of unlawful absences, parents receive a notice that their child’s attendance is considered habitually truant under the rules for compulsory attendance. Potential consequences for habitual truancy are outlined in the notice.
• 10 Day Chronically Absent Notice: After ten (10) of lawful absences, guardians are notified that their child's attendance is considered chronically absent. Doctor's notes will be required for any additional absences after this point, or obtain prior written request using the Non-School Educational Trip/Tour/Activity form (linked below) for observance of a religious holiday observed by a bona fide religious group. [28]
• Late Arrival: Tardies are classified as 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 lawful. 
• 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.
• 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 may 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.
• 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.

Absence Make-Up Guidelines

1. 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). 
2. Parents or students should contact the school for assignments. Teachers may be contacted directly by e-mail.
3. 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.
4. Incomplete work must be made up within two weeks after the end of the marking period. Discretion may be used for unusual circumstances.
5. Assignments 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 assignments 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.

Related Policies

• Pol. 204 - Attendance