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Plainfield High School has an eight day absence limit per semester.

- All absences, Excused or Unexcused, count toward the eight day limit.

- For an absence to be Excused it must be reported within 24 hours.

REPORTING ABSENCES

Students should be advised to have their parents report to the school Attendance Office by telephone (317-838-3630) on the day of their absence giving the reason for absence. The attendance line is available 24 hours a day. Student Services will attempt to contact parents by telephone to check on absences not so reported. Absences must be reported within 24 hours to be excused. All medical notifications must be submitted within one week to be excused. Parents will be informed promptly of any irregularity in attendance.

Research shows that high attendance rates correlate to high achievement rates; for these reasons, the school has determined that students may incur no more than eight absences per class per semester.

Excused absences are defined as absences that the school corporation regards as legitimate reasons for being out of school, as included in the school policy. Indiana Code five causes for an absence to be excused. These include:

Illness verified by note from parent/guardian

Illness verified by note from physician

Family funeral

Maternity

Military Connected Families (e.g. absences related to deployment and return)

Indiana Lawprescribes which absences are exceptions and are not included as absences on a student’s attendance. As per (IC 20-33-2) these include:

(1)service as a page for the Indiana General Assembly,

(2)serving on the Precinct Election Board or the helper to a political candidate,

(3)a student who is issued a subpoena to appear in court as a witness in a judicial proceeding,

(4)ordered to active duty with the Indiana National Guard for not more than ten days,

(5) Serving with the Civil Air Patrol for up to five (5) days, 

(6) exhibiting at the State Fair

(7) educationally related non-classroom activity.

An unexcused absence is any absence not covered under the definition of excused or exempt.

FAMILYEMERGENCY

A student may be allowed make-up work for an absence caused by a family emergency, even if it falls in the “unexcused” category. This absence may not exceed one (1) day per incident and will count toward the eight (8) days at the high school and eight(8) days at the middle school. The parent should call the attendance office on the day of the emergency and send a note of explanation with the student the following day; final determination will be at the building principal’s discretion.

Vacations: Families should plan their vacation at times when school is not in session to avoid student absences. The granting of pre-arranged absences is not intended for adding additional vacation days to the school year, but rather for unavoidable absences or once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

College Visits: A parent must make arrangements in advance for a college visitation, by filling out the College Visit Request Form. This is a separate form from the Prearranged Absence form. For college visits, the student must be a Junior or Senior and must bring an official document from the college Admissions Office to Student Services. College visits DO NOT count toward the eight day limit on absences. (Only two college visits are allowed per year.)

The following applies to prearranged absences:

• Parents must sign a form for prearranged absence and submit that form to the principal or assistant principal’s office.

• The form must be submitted ahead of time, allowing ample time for needed signatures to be obtained and all stakeholders to be notified; recommended submission five (5) days prior to absence.

• If a student has previously been absent for several days, a conference may be required by the administration to discuss the ramifications of additional absences.

• A prearranged absence form must be presented by the student to each of his teachers for signatures.

• Make-up work should be arranged in advance. Class work missed must be made up promptly upon the student’s return.

• The prearranged absence will be reported as excused or unexcused according to the Indiana Compulsory Attendance Law (IC-20-33-2) and make-up work will be allowed for credit. Students and parents are reminded that even though make-up work will be allowed for credit, some classroom activities simply cannot be replicated. The instruction missed during class time may adversely affect their grades (especially in participation type classes) and understanding of material.

• Any prearranged absence(s) will count towards the eight (8) day attendance policy.

• No prearranged absence will be approved if a student is scheduled to take the state required achievements test and/or locally administered achievement tests.

• MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL- prearranged absences will not be approved during final semester exams or the last fifteen days of the school year for any reason other than those exceptions outlined by Indiana Law.

Students arriving to school after the beginning of the school day must report to Student Services to sign in and will be considered tardy to first period. Any student arriving late to school or receiving an unexcused absence to first period will count as a violation of the tardy policy. A parent call notifying Student Services of a late arrival does not necessarily make the tardy or absence excused unless the excuse falls under normal excused absences from school. The policy will be as follows:

1. The third tardy to class will result in a Level I Friday School Assignment and parent contact.

2. The fourth tardy to class will result in a Level I Friday School Assignment and parent contact.

3. The fifth tardy to class will result in a Level II Friday School Assignment.

4. The sixth tardy will result in two Level II Friday School Assignments.

5. The seventh tardy will result in a one day suspension from school.

*Students earning eight or more tardies could be suspended from school for multiple days and may face expulsion.

Truancy is defined as absence from school during any part of the school day without the consent of parent and proper school officials. Class work missed may not be made up and the student’s grade will suffer accordingly.

You are truant if you:

(1)Leave school without signing out, in the proper office.

(2)Leave school at lunch without proper permission.

(3)Are absent from school without prior permission from your parent.

(4)Are absent from class without permission (skipping).

(5)Obtain a pass to go to a certain place and do not report there or go somewhere else besides the destination on your pass.

(6)Become ill and go home or stay in the restroom instead of reporting to Student Services or to the Clinic.

(7)Come to school but do not attend classes.

Truancies from school or class will result in disciplinary action listed below:

1st violation: One Level II Friday School and parental notification

2nd violation: Two Level II Friday School assignments and parental notification

3rd violation: A third truancy in a semester will result in a suspension from school and possible recommendation for expulsion for the rest of the semester.

*All unexcused absences will fall under provisions outlined in a Project ATTEND attendance contract or a Plainfield High School attendance contract.

Plainfield High School believes that students who miss more than eight instructional periods per class per semester have missed a significant amount of classroom interaction, as well as instructional time. Parents will be notified when a student has accumulated his or her 4th, 8th, and 10th absence. If a student misses more than eight class periods or full days, he or she may be removed from the class, sign an attendance contract, or be expelled from school. Absences which include extenuating circumstances and that violate a signed attendance contract may be taken to an attendance review committee. Removal from two or more classes will result in recommendation for expulsion.

NOTE TO PARENTS AND STUDENTS: EACH ABSENCE, WHETHER EXCUSED, UNEXCUSED, OR TRUANT COUNTS TOWARD THE EIGHT-DAY LIMIT.

Project ATTEND is a cooperative effort between the Schools, Probation, Prosecutor and Child and Family Services offices in Hendricks County, Indiana. The goal is to assist schools in increasing their attendance rate and to reduce the number of Truancy cases filed in the Court.

GENERAL PROCEDURES:

(1)When a child has accumulated excessive or unexcused absences, the school will have the student and the parent or guardian of the student sign a Parent Attendance Contract. The school is to determine what constitutes an unexcused absence. If the school is unable to get the parent to sign the contract within five school days, they should contact the Project ATTEND Coordinator.

(2)When a child has accumulated any additional unexcused absences, the school representative should notify the Project ATTEND Coordinator by phone or e-mail and include the pertinent information about the child. This information should include; the child’s name and date of birth, parents names, addresses, phone numbers and a copy of their attendance. Also, a record of any contacts made by the school should be included.

(3)The Project ATTEND Coordinator will then contact the parents or guardian of the child by phone, mail or both. This contact will include an attempt to gather pertinent information regarding the family and attendance issues. The parents will be notified that this is considered an official referral to the Juvenile Court and could result in future legal action.

(4)If the attendance problems continue, the school should notify Project ATTEND with all updated information. A meeting will be set for the parents, child, school representative and Project ATTEND Coordinator. The Deputy Prosecuting Attorney may also be asked to attend this meeting.

(5)At the above mentioned meeting, the legal consequences of non-attendance will be explained. A contract/agreement will be signed by the parents, child, school representative and Project ATTEND Coordinator, that lists any actions that should be taken and any conditions imposed on the student, parents or school.

(6)If the child still continues to have attendance problems or otherwise violates the above mentioned agreement, a decision to file Truancy charges against the child, or Educational Neglect charges against the parent may be made. It is also possible that the child could continue under the existing agreement or an amended agreement.

Each case will be considered on an individual basis. Every attempt will be made to have an Attendance Contract or Agreement signed before filing charges. The goal is to improve attendance without filing formal charges if possible.