Code of Student Conduct and Handbook for Lebanon High School ...

II. Student Attendance Regulations and ResponsibilitiesA. ATTENDANCE PROCEDURESThe Code of Student Discipline and Responsibilities provides for appropriate disciplinaryresponses to reduce unnecessary student absenteeism, school tardiness, and truancy.Procedures for attendance are as follows:1. On the day a student returns to school from an absence, the student must present an excusesigned by his/her parent/guardian. Students attending CTC classes are required to present anote to both LHS and the CTC.2. If written excuses are not provided, the days of absence will be considered unexcused. Forstudents under age 17, unexcused absences will become unlawful and may result in a summaryconviction for a violation of compulsory school attendance laws. Unexcused absences for allstudents may result in school disciplinary action in accordance with the Code of SchoolDiscipline and Responsibilities. Contact will be made with students and parents whenattendance is noted as being infrequent or irregular.3. After five days of cumulative absences, the parent or guardian may be required to telephonethe school each day a student is absent.4. Medical excuses may be required in cases of questionable and/or unlawful absences and alsofor absences exceeding ten days per school year.5. After three days or their equivalent of unlawful absence, an official notice of unlawfulabsence will be sent by certified and surface mail to the parent. (The notice served afterthe first three days of unlawful absence will be adequate for the school year.)6. Legal action will be taken for repeat unlawful absences. Fines can reach $300.00 per day pluscourt costs.7. Unexcused tardiness can be cumulative and converted into days of unexcused absence. Thisaction may result in an offense punishable by a fine for students of compulsory school age.8. Truancy, tardiness, and unexcused absences are behaviors that are subject to a disciplinaryresponse under the Code of Student Discipline and Responsibilities. Unmodified behaviors ofthis type may be interpreted as Level IV misconduct, therefore disciplinary responsesincluding expulsion may result.B. DEFINITIONS1. Absence – the non-attendance of a student when school is in session2. Excused Absence – absences for unpredictable or legal reasons. Examples are listed undersubheading F on page 13. Students may be granted up to 5 days bereavement for parents,immediate family, or grandparents.3. Unexcused absence - the absence of a student due to truancy, illegal employment, or parentalneglect.4. Illegal absence - unexcused absences from school by a student under the age of 17 due toavoidable absences, parental neglect, illegal employment, unapproved family vacations, andtruancy. All illegal absences are subject to a fine through the court system.5. Compulsory School Age - The period of time from which the child’s parents elect to have thechild enter school. This time frame will be no later than age 8 until the age of 17.8