• Beginning with the 2022-23 school year, Louisiana law now requires all students that turn five (5) years of age by Sept. 30th to attend mandatory kindergarten classes.
• The new requirement is expected to help improve academic performance by ensuring all children are attending school and learning basic skills at an early age. 
• Except as provided by law, every child in the state is required by state law to attend public or private school from the child's fifth (5th) birthday until his/her eighteenth (18th) birthday, unless the child graduates prior to his/her eighteenth (18th) birthday.
• All students are expected to attend school regularly and be on time for classes in order to benefit from the instructional program and develop habits of punctuality, self-discipline, and responsibility.  There is a direct relationship between poor attendance and class failure.  Students who have good attendance generally achieve higher grades, enjoy school more and are much more employable after leaving school.

General Provisions for the Attendance Policy

1.  Absences described in the policy are to take care of:
   1. a personal illness
   2. professional appointments that could not be scheduled outside of a regular school day
   3. other serious or personal problems
      
      
2. School sponsored or sanctioned activities will not count toward total absences.
   
   
3. Principals and their staffs will contact parents whenever illegal or suspicious absences occur. The principal may send a referral for investigation and/or home visits to the Supervisor of Child Welfare and Attendance.
   
   
4. The St. Mary Parish School Board Office of Special Education provides homebound instruction to pupils who have health problems requiring them to miss school for at least ten (10) days. (See Homebound Policy)
   
   
5. A student suspended from school for disciplinary reasons will have those days charged against the total number of absences.
   
   
6. It is extremely important that students and parents realize and understand that days of absence built into the attendance policy are not to be used as skip days, but rather they should be used only as indicated in this policy.
   
   
7. All students enrolled in alternative to regular placement will adhere to the same attendance policy as regular students.
   
   
8. A student will not be allowed to leave school early unless a parent or guardian personally signs the student out of the office.  A check out will count as an absence.  In case of extenuating circumstances, parents may appeal to the principal.

Attendance Policy

Elementary and junior high students are required to attend one hundred sixty-seven (167) days per school year to receive credit in all full credit courses.  

Secondary students shall be required to be present a minimum of one hundred sixty-seven (167) days per school year or a minimum of eighty-three and one-half (83.5) days, or the equivalent, per semester for schools operating on a semester, block schedule basis, in order to be eligible to receive credit for courses taken.

 Elementary/Junior High Students:

• 1st Notice: When a student accumulates three (3) days of unexcused absences, it is required that the parent contact the school administrator for a mandatory conference.
  
  
• 2nd Notice: When a student accumulates five (5) days of unexcused absences, it is required that the parent attend a mandatory conference with the school administrator. Your child may be referred to the District Attorney's Early Intervention/TASC Program, Truancy Court or Family in Need of Services (FINS) Court. The parent could be fined no more than fifty ($50.00) dollars or perform not less than twenty-five (25) hours of community service.
  
  
• Failure to attend Truancy Court will result in being required to attend an Attendance Hearing with Child Welfare and Attendance officers.
• 3rd Notice: When a student accumulates eight (8) days of unexcused absences, the student is in danger of failing for the year. The principal shall send a request for assistance notification to the Child Welfare and Attendance Office. Your child will be referred to the District Attorney’s Early Intervention/TASC Program or (FINS) Court.
  
  
• 4th Notice: When a student accumulates ten (10) days of unexcused absences, the next unexcused absence will result in the student failing for the year. It is required that the parent attend a mandatory conference with the school administrator.

• The principal shall send a request for assistance notification to the Child Welfare and Attendance Office.
  
  
• Recommendation will be made for a District Attorney/City Court’s (FINS) or Juvenile Court Referral for any days over ten (10) that are not extenuating circumstances.

Secondary Students (Seven Period Non-Block Schedule):

• 1st Notice: When a student accumulates three (3) days of unexcused absences, it is required that the parent contact the school administrator for a mandatory conference.
  
  
• 2nd Notice: When a student accumulates five (5) days of unexcused absences, the student is in danger of failing for the year. It is required that the parent attend a mandatory conference with the school administrator. Your student may be referred to Truancy Court or the District Attorney/City Court’s Family in Need of Services (FINS) Program. The parent could be fined no more than fifty ($50.00) dollars or perform not less than twenty-five (25) hours of community services.
  
  
• Failure to attend Truancy Court will result in being required to attend an Attendance Hearing with Child Welfare and Attendance officers.
• 3rd Notice: When a student accumulates eight (8) days of unexcused absences, the student is in danger of failing for the year. The principal shall send a request for assistance notification to the Child Welfare and Attendance Office. Your child will be referred to the District Attorney/City Court’s (FINS) Program.
  
  
• 4th Notice: When a student accumulates ten (10) days of unexcused absences, the next unexcused absence will result in the student failing for the year. It is required that the parent attend a mandatory conference with the school administrator. 

• The principal shall send a request for assistance notification to the Child Welfare and Attendance Office.
  
  
• Recommendation will be made for a District Attorney/City Court’s (FINS) or Juvenile Court Referral for any days over ten (10) that are not extenuating circumstances.

The parent or guardian, after meeting with the principal, may appeal within ten (10) days to the Supervisor of Child Welfare and Attendance to review the principal's loss of credit decision.  The Supervisor of Child Welfare and Attendance will notify the parent or guardian of the day, time and place for a review of the principal's findings.

Should the parent or guardian appeal the Supervisor of Child Welfare and Attendance's loss of credit decision, they may appeal in writing within ten (10) days to the superintendent to review the findings.   The superintendent's decision will be mailed to the parent or guardian of the student within ten (10) days.

Finally, should the parent or guardian decide to appeal the Superintendent's findings, a private or public review must be requested in writing within ten (10) days for a hearing to be held by the School Board.  The parent or guardian will be notified by the School Board of the day, time and place.

Types of Absences

The days absent for elementary and secondary school students shall include non-exempted excused absences, exempted excused absences, unexcused absences, and suspensions. 

1. Non-exempted excused absences are absences incurred due to personal illness or serious illness in the family (documented by acceptable excuses, including a parental note) which are not considered for purposes of truancy, but which are considered when determining whether or not a student is eligible to make up work and tests, receive credit for work completed, and receive credit for a course and/or school year completed. 
   
   
2. Exempted excused absences are absences which are not considered for purposes of truancy and which are not considered when determining whether or not a student is eligible to make up work and tests, receive credit for work completed, and receive credit for a course and/or school year completed.
   
   
3. Unexcused absences are any absences not meeting the requirements set forth in the excused absences and extenuating circumstances definitions, including but not limited to absences due to any job (including agriculture and domestic services, even in the student’s own home or for their own parents or tutors) unless it is a part of an approved instructional program.  Students shall be given failing grades for those days missed and shall not be given an opportunity to make up work.
   
   
4. Suspensions are non-exempted absences for which a student is allowed to make up his/her work and is eligible for consideration for credit provided it is completed satisfactorily and in a timely manner.  The absence shall be considered when determining whether or not a student may or may not be promoted, but shall not be considered for purposes of truancy.  Students absent from school as a result of any suspension shall be counted as absent.

Reviewed 07/20/2022
Kenneth Holmes