Attendance Notes

Board Policy 5200 - In accordance with statute, the Superintendent shall require, from the parent of each student of compulsory school age or from an adult student who has been absent from school or from class for any reason, a statement of the cause for such absence.

When a student is absent from school for all or part of the day, the absence can be considered excused when the Guardian has notified the school verbally or provided written documentation indicating a board approved reason for the absence.

Absence excuse notes must be received within one week from the date of absence. Only the guardian listed in Infinite Campus may excuse a student’s absence.  If a note or phone call is received by someone not listed as a guardian, the absence cannot be excused.

*If the parent reports an absence for any reason other than those listed below, the absence is considered Unexcused and would require principal approval via the Request for Principal Approval of an Excused Absence Form to be considered for an Excused absence.

Board Approved Reasons for a student absence:

• Personal Illness

  • A medical or dental appointment (type of appointment must be specific)

  • A written statement from a physician, dentist, or licensed mental health provider. * An excuse on the Health Services form provided by the school nurse would be considered excused as if it were a doctor’s note. Students that have re-occurring doctor appointments must provide an excuse from each appointment they attend.  Blanket excuse notes outlining all the scheduled appointments cannot be used to excuse an absence.

• Family Illness or Medical Appointments

• Death of a Relative (limit of 3 days)

• Court Hearing

• Observation of a religious holiday

• College Visit (documentation from the school admissions office required)

The following information must be on all absence excuse notes:

• Student First and Last Name

• Date the note was written AND the date(s) of absence

• Reason for absence/tardy/early dismissal

• Parent/Guardian name and signature.  If using the Absence Notification Form to document a phone call, the name of the caller must be indicated on the form (not the relationship).

If more than one student is listed on an excuse note, the note should be scanned and placed in each student's individual attendance repository.

All excused absences must have the type of documentation on file recorded in the comment section of the absence.  The comment should be filled in for each period the excused coding of any other non-Board approved reason.

Keep the following in mind prior to excusing an absence:

Was the report of absence made by a Parent/Guardian? Only the Guardian listed in Infinite Campus may excuse a student’s absence.  If a note or phone call is received by someone not listed as a guardian, the absence cannot be excused. You must reach out to the guardian for confirmation to excuse the absence.

Is the reason for absence a Board Approved Reason?  If the reason for the absence is not a Board Approved Reason, then the principal’s approval is required to excuse the absence. The building administrator is to review and determine if the absence should be excused.  A Request for Principal Approval of an Excused Absence Form is to be completed and uploaded as documentation that the principal has approved for the absence to be excused.

The following are board approved reasons for an absence: medical/dental/vision appointments, personal illness, death of relative, observance of religious holiday. For more information, please visit the following link –> https://go.boarddocs.com/oh/columbus/Board.nsf/Public?open&id=policies#

Standing Doctor Appointments: Students that have re-occurring doctor appointments must provide an excuse from each appointment they attend.  A blanket excuse note outlining all the scheduled appointments CANNOT be used to excuse absences.

Parent Authorized Absence Coding: When a parental excuse is received, verify that the student has not exceeded 9 parent authorized absences.  If they have, the absence is considered unexcused.  A Request for Principal Approval of an Excused Absence form can be completed and presented to the building administrator to be considered for an excused absence.  

When using the late arrival or early release logs to code an absence the parent/guardian must be the person signing the log, and the reason indicated MUST be a board approved reason.  If a student is signed in or out for an “appointment” the type of appointment must be specific.  If the log states “appointment” only, the absence is deemed unexcused.

Pa Limit Reached Flag:  When students reach an accumulation of parent authorized absences that equal 9 full days, the student must have the PA Limit Reached flag added.  The flag must be end dated as of the last day of school.  If a student has been flagged and higher level documentation is received that puts the student below 9 full days, then the flag will need an end date equal to the date of the last parent authorized absence.  

Request for Principal Approval of an Excused Absence form:  Principal Approval is required to excuse an absence when:

• An excuse note is provided more than one week from the date of absence.

• The reason for absence is not a board approved reason.

• Student is going out of the country.

• Family Vacations.

When completing the Request for Principal Approval of an Excused Absence from attach the student’s period detail report and any absence documentation you received for the absence. The administrator must complete the bottom portion of the form indicating if the absence is excused or unexcused, sign and date.

Was the absence excuse received within one week from the date of absence?  If an absence excuse is received more than one week from the date of absence a Request for Principal Approval of an Excused Absence form must be completed and submitted to the principal to be considered for an excused absence.

Vacations - Any request for a student to be absent due to a family vacation shall be made via Request for Principal Approval of an Excused Absence Form and shall be provided to the building principal prior to the planned absence. Any excuse provided by the parent/guardian after-the-fact shall not be accepted.  Administrative Guideline 5200B Coding for Family Vacations.

Religious Holidays:  Absences for religious holidays are coded EXC (excused). Documentation should be uploaded to the student’s attendance tab.

LB coding for CCS Transportation issues - Students arriving on a late bus must be documented on the route sheet. When entering in Infinite Campus, use the Late Bus (LB) attendance code and add comment "CCS Trans Issues and Route Number."

If an isolated report is made by a parent/guardian that a bus did not show up, or was late/early, this must be verified with transportation.  These late arrivals must be coded unexcused until it is verified with the CCS Department of Transportation that there was a bus issue.

Transportation Wait Period:  This code can be used for special education students who receive transportation accommodations per their IEP.  If the accommodation is not in the IEP it is the parent/guardian's responsibility to transport the student until transportation begins.

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