Parents/Guardians, students, and staff should refer to their respective school handbooks for school-specific policy and procedure.
Parent Responsibility
Kentucky Revised Statute 159.180 states that the parent or guardian is responsible for keeping his/her child in regular school attendance.
Truancy Defined (Kentucky Revised Statute 159.150)
Any student who has attained the age of six (6), but has not reached his/her eighteenth (18th) birthday, who has been absent from school without valid excuse for three (3) days or more, or tardy without valid excuse on three (3) days or more, is a truant. These three (3) days do not have to be consecutive.
Any student enrolled in a public school who has attained the age of eighteen (18) years, but has not reached his/her twenty-first (21st) birthday, who has been absent from school without valid excuse for three (3) or more days, or tardy without valid excuse on three (3) or more days, is a truant.
Highlights of board policy 09.123 'Absences & Excuses':
Notification To School
Parents or guardians should call the school as early as possible on the day of their child's absence/tardy or, if possible, in advance. If parents call before the school office is open, they may leave a message on the voice mail system. Parents without a telephone shall send a note indicating the reason for absence to school with the student on the next day of attendance (the first day the student returns to school). If no contact is made, the absence shall be marked as unexcused. Only valid parent excuses, as determined by the Principal, shall be marked as excused. Notes or calls from students shall not be accepted as adequate notification.
Parent Excuses
Students may be excused if the parent provides a valid excuse or provides evidence of circumstances beyond human control, as determined by the Principal. The following limits apply:
- Elementary (K-5): ten (10) absence events (absences or tardies) in a school year
- Middle School (6-8): eight (8) absence events (absences or tardies) in a school year
- High School (9-12): eight (8) absence events (absences or tardies) in a school year
Doctor Statement Required
The District shall excuse up to ten (10) absence events with doctor/medical excuse/notes. Any absence events due to medical reasons in excess of ten (10) shall require the presentation of the District’s Medical Excuse Form before the absence will be excused. The forms shall be available at each school, Superintendent’s office and some medical facilities upon parent request. All absence events and tardies shall be considered unexcused until the appropriate written note, excuse, or documentation is presented to the school. These notes, excuses, etc. must be turned in to the school within twenty-four (24) hours of return to school. Students who have a doctor's excuse for an absence shall submit it to the school on the next day of attendance (the first day the student returns to school).
Illness
If an elementary or middle school student becomes ill during the day, their parent/guardian (or an individual authorized by them in writing) may come to the school and checkout the student.
If a high school student becomes ill during the day, s/he shall secure permission from the Principal/designee to leave the campus. The Principal/designee shall contact the student’s parents/guardians.
Check-In /Check-Out Procedure
Parents/guardians (or an individual authorized by them in writing or listed as an emergency contact during online registration) shall come to school to sign the check-in/check-out register before an elementary or middle school student shall be permitted to enter school late or leave school early.
High school students shall immediately check-in at the main office upon their arrival at school and then go directly to class. High school students shall secure permission from the Principal/designee to leave the campus before the end of the school day.
Unless the absence/tardy meets the requirements for an excused absence/tardy, students being checked-in/checked-out of school during the school day shall receive an unexcused absence/tardy.
Appointments
Although parents should make every effort to schedule appointments outside school hours, students may be granted an excused absence for appointments with doctors and dentists. A doctor’s statement noting the time/date of the office visit must be submitted upon the student’s return to school. Check-ins/Check-outs that reflect an unreasonable amount of travel time to/from the appointment will be marked unexcused.
Prearranged Absences
Prior to being absent to participate in school-related activities, students shall contact their teachers to make arrangements for make-up work.
Make-Up Work
Only students with excused absences will be allowed to make up homework or tests missed during the period of absence. Absences due to suspension shall be considered unexcused absences.
Trips
Trips taken in conjunction with parent vacations shall result in an unexcused absence for which no makeup of homework or tests will be allowed.
(board policy 09.123 'Absences & Excuses was revised 07/14/2022)