Sedalia School District 200
R 2310 Student Attendance
The Board of Education has established the following rules and regulations regarding attendance,
absences and excuses for students. These rules and regulations are intended to comply with
Missouri Compulsory Attendance Law (167.031 RSMo.) which establishes compulsory attendance for
all children between the ages of seven and sixteen unless their education is provided by other
acceptable means or otherwise excusable under the law.
Excusable Absences
In case of absence, it is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to notify the school. If the school
is not notified on the day of absence, a note from the parent/guardian will be required on the first
day of the student's return to school. The absence will be recorded as unexcused if a note or
telephone call is not received.
Excusable absences include, but are not limited to:
Illness of the student (Doctor's statement may be required to support such absences).
Days of religious observance.
Death in the family (Each District shall define degree of relatedness required to excuse
absence).
Family emergencies which necessitate absence from school. The school must be notified in
advance when such absences are foreseen. (Each District shall define degree of emergency
required to excuse absence).
The following procedures should be followed by students who are absent so as to prevent academic
difficulties:
The student shall obtain assignments from appropriate staff members.Assignments shall be
obtained in advance if the absence is foreseen.
All assigned work shall be submitted upon returning to school.
All classroom work (to include tests) shall be completed as indicated by the individual
classroom teacher.
Unexcused Absences
Attendance patterns for all students will be monitored. Absences which are not clearly excusable
will be investigated by the principal and/or staff, and appropriate action will be taken:
(Disciplinary Option)
After a student has been absent for three (3) consecutive days, it is the building principal's
responsibility to contact the parent/guardian by telephone or letter in order to inquire about
the reason for the student's absence.
If the principal is unable to contact the parent/guardian within three (3) days or the
parent/guardian does not give a reasonable explanation for the absence within three (3) days,
the building principal shall send a registered letter to the parent/guardian requesting a
conference within a week.
If the parent/guardian does not contact the principal within a week of receipt of the
registered letter, the building principal will make a referral to the proper legal authorities.
The building principal shall also notify the office of the Superintendent in writing of the
excessive absence and continue to update the Superintendent on the situation.
Excessive Absences
Elementary Students and Middle School Students
A student shall be allowed twenty (20) unexcused days per school year. Excessive absences,
excused or unexcused, have a detrimental effect upon academic progress and may be one factor
considered in promotion/retention decisions.
High School Students
A student shall be allowed a maximum of eight (8) unexcused absences from any class during a
semester. Students who accumulate in excess of eight (8) days in any class are subject to loss of
credit for that class. (Days of student suspension are not counted as days absent for purposes of
this policy.)
When unusual or extreme circumstances occur, exceptions to this stated policy will be made only by
administrative discretion on an individual basis. Any absence not accounted for will be considered
an unexcused absence.
Any absence from class as a result of a school-sanctioned activity is not recorded as an absence for
purposes of this policy. Example: field trip, athletic event, student activity, etc. It is the student's
responsibility to remind all of his/her teachers following a school-sanctioned absence to use the
attendance correction form if he/she was reported absent inadvertently.
(Disciplinary
Option)
A student is expected to make up work as a result of class periods missed. It shall be the student's
responsibility to meet with the teacher and receive the necessary instructions and assignments.
Any exceptions to the items cited above shall be approved by the Board of Education.
Each principal may have written policies which further detail procedures for making up work,
reporting absence, etc.
Appeal
High school students who are denied credit under this Regulation are entitled to utilize the due
process procedures available for student suspensions. These provisions are contained in Regulation
2662 - Suspension.