Report an Absence

On or before the day of the absence, a parent/guardian should call the attendance line before 8:00 a.m. (7:00 a.m. at the freshman campus). To report an absence, please provide your name, the student's name, your relationship to the student and the reason for the student's absence. Please submit documentation to the front office to excuse your student’s absence.

• If the school has been notified of an absence, it is not necessary to present a note to the attendance office. If a parent or guardian has not been notified the school of an absence, the student must present a note stating:
  • Date(s) of absence(s)
  • Reason of absence
  • Signature of parent or guardian
  • Phone number where parent/guardian may be reached
     
• Students who are 18 years of age or older are required to follow this same procedure. Students participating in the late arrival option must follow the same procedures.
   
• If the appropriate school officials are not notified of an absence, the student will be considered "unexcused." Students will not receive any academic credit for the period of time the absence is considered unexcused, and they will not be granted credit for missed class work, assignments, or exams. Students have 24 hours from their return to school to provide documentation to change an unexcused absence to an excused absence.
   
• Teacher records will be used to verify absences from school and class and will supersede attendance office records when attendance questions arise.

To report early dismissals, please provide your name, the student's name, your relationship to the student, phone number, and the reason for the student's early dismissal.

• Please submit documentation to the front office to excuse your student’s early dismissal.
• Early dismissal students need to leave through the front office and sign out. At East Freshman, parents need to come in to release their student.
• If you leave before 10:09 a.m. (or 9:14 a.m. at the freshman campus), it is considered a full day of absence. If you leave after 10:10 a.m. (or 9:15 a.m. at the freshman campus), it is considered an early leave (or tardy). 
• Students are allowed four early dismissals per quarter.

Juniors and seniors are approved for three college visits a year.

Regular attendance by all students of the Lakota Local School District is very important. Students that have irregular attendance tend to have poor academic success. For this reason it is important that parents and students make every effort possible to make appointments and personal business outside of school hours. Situations may arise that cause a student to miss part of all of the school day. A student is considered EXCUSED for the following reasons: 

1. personal illness (a written physician's statement verifying the illness may be required);
2. appointment with a health care provider;
3. illness in the family necessitating the presence of the child;
4. quarantine of the home;
5. death in the family;
6. necessary work at home due to absence or incapacity of parent(s)/guardian(s);
7. attendance at a driver’s education course for up to two (2) hours on no more than four (4) days (limited to a total of eight (8) hours during the school year), provided that the absence does not occur during a core curriculum subject course;
8. religious expression days, up to three (3) of which may, after approval by the principal in accordance with this policy, permit the student to be absent without any academic penalty;
9. out-of-state travel (up to a maximum of twenty-four (24) hours per school year that the student's school is open for instruction) to participate in a Districtapproved enrichment or extracurricular activity;
   
   Any classroom assignment missed due to the absence shall be completed by the student.
   
   If the student will be absent for twenty-four (24) or more consecutive hours that the student's school is open for instruction, a classroom teacher shall accompany the student during the travel period to provide the student with instructional assistance.
    
10. such a good cause as may be acceptable to the Superintendent;
11. medically necessary leave for a pregnant student in accordance with Policy 5751;
12. service as a precinct officer at a primary, special, or general election in accordance with the program set forth in Policy 5725; 
13. college visitation;
    
    The District requires verification of the date and time of the visitation by the college, university, or technical college.
     
14. absences due to a student's placement in foster care, or a change in foster care placement, or any court proceedings related to their foster care status;
15. absences due to a student being homeless.

A student is considered truant if he or she is absent or tardy from school without a legitimate excuse. UNEXCUSED absences include but are not limited to: 

1. Overslept
2. No parent Note or Excuse Offered

To comply with state law while supporting our families, Lakota’s attendance policy includes up to five (5) medically excused absences will be accepted without a doctor’s note, as long as the parent or guardian notifies the school to report the absence.

Parents and guardians will receive an automated notification through ParentSquare if their student reaches 5% their total required instructional hours missed. For grades 7-12, notification will be sent at 50.5 hours (5% of 1001 hours).

Students may not be absent during final examination unless approved by the school administrator and a plan is put into place to make up the exam. NO FINAL EXAMS WILL BE GIVEN EARLY.