Morning Arrival & Attendance Policies

One criteria of a student’s success in school is regular and punctual attendance. Frequent absences may lead to poor academic work, lack of social development, and possible academic failure. Regular attendance is of utmost importance for school interest, social adjustment, and scholastic achievement. No single factor may interfere with a student’s progress more quickly than frequent tardiness or absence.

According to state law, it is the obligation of every parent/guardian to ensure that every child under their care and supervision receives adequate education and training and, if of compulsory attendance age, attends school.

Continuity in the learning process and social adaptation is seriously disrupted by excessive absences. In most situations, the work missed cannot be made up adequately. Students who have good attendance generally achieve higher grades, enjoy school more, and are more employable after leaving school. For at least these reasons, the Board believes that a student must satisfy two basic requirements in order to earn full class credit: (1) satisfy all academic requirements and (2) exhibit good attendance habits as stated in this policy.

The following will be considered excused absences:

1. A student who is temporarily ill or injured or whose absence is approved by the administrator of the school of attendance on a prearranged basis. Prearranged absences will be approved for appointments or circumstances of a serious nature only which cannot be taken care of outside of school hours. 
2. A student who is absent for an extended period due to a physical disability or a mental or behavioral health disorder. 
3. A student who is pursuing a work-study program under the supervision of the school. 
4. A student who is attending any school-sponsored activity or activities of an educational nature with advance approval by the administration. 
5. A student who is suspended or expelled. 

As applicable, the district may require suitable proof regarding the above exceptions, including written statements from medical sources. 

If a student is in out-of-home placement (as that term is as defined by C.R.S. 22-32-138(1)(h), absences due to court appearances and participation in court-ordered activities will be excused. The student’s assigned social worker must verify the student’s absence was for a court appearance or court-ordered activity.

An unexcused absence is defined as an absence that is not covered by one of the foregoing exceptions. Each unexcused absence will be entered on the student's record. The parents/guardians of the student receiving an unexcused absence will be notified orally or in writing by the district of the unexcused absence. 

In accordance with law, the district may impose appropriate penalties which relate directly to classes missed while unexcused. Penalties may include a warning, school detention, or in-school suspension. Academic penalties, out-of-school suspensions, or expulsion will not be imposed for any unexcused absence.

The administration will develop regulations to implement appropriate penalties. The school administration will consider the correlation between course failure, truancy and a student dropping out of school in developing these regulations and will implement research-based strategies to re-engage students with a high number of unexcused absences.

Students and parents/guardians may petition the Board of Education for exceptions to this policy or the accompanying regulations provided that no exception will be sustained if the student fails to abide by all requirements imposed by the Board as conditions for granting any such ex­ception.

The maximum number of unexcused absences a student may incur before judicial proceedings are initiated to enforce compulsory attendance is 10 days during any calendar year or school year.

When a student has an excessive number of absences, these absences negatively impact the student’s academic success. For this reason, a student who has 18 total absences in a school year, whether the absences are excused or unexcused, may be identified as “chronically absent” by the principal or designee. Absences due to suspension or expulsion will not be counted in the total number of absences considered for purposes of identifying a student as “chronically absent.”

If a student is identified as “chronically absent,” the principal or designee will develop a plan to improve the student’s attendance. The plan will include best practices and research-based strategies to address the reasons for the student’s chronic absenteeism, including but not limited to individual attendance plan, parent contacts and other student specific interventions. When practicable, the student’s parent/guardian will participate in the development of the plan.

Nothing herein will require the principal or designee to identify a student as “chronically absent” prior to declaring the student as a “habitual truant” and pursuing court proceedings against the student and his or her parents/guardians to compel the student’s attendance in accordance with state law.

Make-up work will be provided for any class in which a student has an excused absence unless other­wise determined by the building administrator or unless the absence is due to the student’s expulsion from school. It is the responsibility of the student to pick up any make-up assignments permitted on the day returning to class. There will be two days allowed for make-up work for each day of absence.

Make-up work will be allowed following an unexcused absence or following a student’s suspension from school with the goal of providing the student an opportunity to keep up with the class and an incentive to attend school. This work may receive full or partial credit to the extent possible as determined by the building administrator.

Unless otherwise permitted by the building administrator, make-up work will not be provided during a student’s expulsion. Rather, the district will offer alternative education services to the expelled student in accordance with state law. The district will determine the amount of credit the expelled student will receive for work completed during any alternative education program.

Tardiness is defined as the appearance of a student without proper excuse after the sched­uled time that a class begins. Because of the disruptive nature of tardi­ness and the detri­mental effect upon the rights of the non-tardy student to uninter­rupted learning, appropriate penalties shall be imposed for excessive tardiness. Parents/guardians will be notified of all pen­alties regarding tardiness.

In an unavoidable situation, a student detained by another teacher or administrator will not be considered tardy provided that the teacher or administrator gives the student a pass to enter the next class. Teachers will honor passes presented in ac­cordance with this policy. The provisions of this policy are applicable to all students in the district, including those above and below the age for compulsory attendance as required by law.

If a student is absent without an excuse signed by the parent/guardian or if the student leaves school or a class without permission of the teacher or administrator in charge, the student shall be considered truant. An “habitual truant” shall be defined as a student of compulsory attendance age who has four total days of unexcused absences from school in any one month or 10 total days of unexcused absences during any school year. Absences due to suspension or expulsion shall not be counted in the total of unexcused­ absences for purposes of defining a student as an “habitual truant.”

In order to reduce the incidents of truancy, parents/guardians of all students shall be notified in writing at the beginning of each school year of their obligation to ensure that all children of compulsory attendance age attend school. Parents/guardians shall be required to acknowledge in writing awareness of their obligations and to furnish the school with a telephone number or other means of contacting them during the school day.

The school shall establish a system of monitoring individual unexcused absences. When a student fails to report on a regularly scheduled school day and school person­nel have received no indication that the parent/guardian is aware of the absence, school per­son­nel or volunteers under the direction of school personnel shall make a reason­able effort to notify the parent/guardian by telephone.

A plan shall be developed for a student who is at risk of being declared habitually truant with the goal of assisting the child to remain in school. When practicable, the student’s parent, guardian or legal custodian shall participate with district personnel during the development of the plan. Appropriate school personnel shall make reasonable efforts to meet with the parent, guardian or legal custodian to review and evaluate the reasons for the student’s truancy.

In accordance with law, the district may impose appropriate penalties that relate directly to classes missed while truant.

The administration shall develop regulations to implement appropriate penalties for truancy. The school administration shall consider the correlation between course failure, truancy and a student dropping out of school in developing these regulations and shall implement research-based strategies to re-engage students with a high number of truancies.

For more information regarding compulsory attendance and District 6 truancy policies, please refer to Board policies JHB, JH, JFC, and JEA. 

For all students, Preschool- 8th, Please call (970) 348-4000 to notify the school of your child’s absence. The *absence will be “excused” by the school according to the guidelines above. If you know your child will miss one (1) or more consecutive days of school for something other than an illness, a pre-arranged absence form must be completed and approved by a school administrator. These can be completed in the school office. If your student misses more than half a day of school, they cannot participate in after-school events. Preschools in UPK may lose their spot if there are more than 10 unexcused absences.  Attendance letters will be sent home for students with 4, 7, or 10 total absences during the school year. Please see the District 6 Parent-Student Handbook for additional information.

Students will be marked unexcused absent from class if they choose to not attend class.  School staff will make efforts to locate the student and return them to class.  If a student refuses, their parents will be notified, and our District Response to Behavior will be followed in accordance to appropriate response/ discipline.  Continued ditching class will result in more significant discipline. 

If you know in advance that your child will miss one or more consecutive days of school, a pre-arranged absence form must be completed and approved by an administrator. Pre-arranged forms may be downloaded and printed from our school website. Please complete either on Elementary Form (K-5) or a Secondary From (6-8), and submit that form to your child's classroom teacher so they may fill out their portion. Middle School students should take the form to each of their teachers. Once teachers complete the form, families need to return the form to the front office for approval. It must be submitted to the front office for approval at least two days before the pre-arranged absence starts. 

We expect all students to be in their classrooms and ready to work by 7:40 a.m. (Tuesday - Friday) and 8:40 a.m. (Monday). Students who arrive after those times are considered tardy. Habitual tardiness is defined as a third tardiness in one semester. Just like absences, an accumulation of tardies will result in a warning letter from the school and a conference with our assistant principal or dean. Parents/guardians shall be notified of all penalties regarding tardiness. 

Preschool students arriving 10 minutes after arrival time will need to go through the front office. Once the preschool gate is closed, families need to enter school through the office. 

Students entering the school after the start of the school day or returning from an appointment must check in at our front office. If possible, please schedule appointments before and after school. According to the guidelines, excused absences will be “excused” by the school.

Please come into the front office to sign out your student, PreK - 7th grade. Be prepared to show identification. Your student will then be sent from class. We will not call your student to the office before arrival, so please plan accordingly. Only individuals listed on a student’s Infinite Campus page will be authorized to sign out the student.  

Please ensure to provide our front office with the most recent custody/parenting orders pertaining to your child so that records can be updated as necessary.