FILE: JBD-P
Cf: JBD
STUDENT ABSENCES DUE TO PERSONAL ILLNESS
AND/OR SERIOUS ILLNESS IN THE FAMILY
The days absent for elementary and secondary school students shall include non-exempted, excused; exempted, excused, unexcused absences and suspensions.
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.
Parent notes shall be evaluated and timely recorded in the JCAMPUS system which signifies that the day is excused and will not count toward truancy. Parent notes will be accepted by school administration for no more than three (3) consecutive days at a time. If a student is absent for more than three (3) consecutive days at a time a physician’s excuse must be presented or the parent note must be presented to the Director of Attendance or his/her designee for a determination as to whether the parent note is valid or not. The decision of the Director of Attendance and/or his designee shall be final and not subject to appeal.
School administration shall contact the Director of Attendance and/or his designee for a determination as to whether the absence will be excused if school administration believes that (1) a parent note is forged; (2) the note is not being provided by a parent due to personal illness of the student or serious illness in the family; or (3) if the student has a pattern of habitual absences. The decision of the Director of Attendance and/or his designee shall be final and not subject to appeal.
In addition, failure to provide a parent note within three (3) days of a student’s return to school will result in the day(s) being counted as unexcused and counted toward truancy. Otherwise, the parent must appeal the school’s decision to the Director of Attendance within five (5) school days of the school’s decision. The decision of the Director of Attendance and/or his designee shall be final and not subject to appeal.
Exempted, Excused Absences—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.
Unexcused Absence—any absence not meeting the requirements set forth in the excused absence and extenuating circumstances definitions, including but not limited to absences due to any job (including agriculture and domestic services, even in their own homes or for their own parents or tutors) unless it is part of an approved instructional program. Students shall be given failing grades in those days missed and shall not be given an opportunity to make up work.
Suspension—a non-exempted absence in which a student is allowed to make up his work and is eligible for consideration for credit provided it is completed satisfactorily and in a timely manner. The absence is considered when determining whether or not a student may or may not be promoted, but is not considered for purposes of truancy. Students absent from school as a result of any suspension shall be counted as absent.
Teachers shall not be evaluated based upon the grades (scores) of students with excessive absences regardless to the classification of the absence unless the teacher and the evaluator agree that the student’s grades or scores shall be utilized.
New policy: April 19, 2016
Ref: La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§17:226, 17:235.2, 17:416
Louisiana Handbook for School Administrators, Bulletin 741, Louisiana Department of Education
Board minutes, 4-19-16
Caddo Parish School Board