Board Policies & Administrative Procedures

View All Procedures

Administrative Procedure 330: STUDENT ATTENDANCE

Background

All students enrolled in school are required to attend school on a regular basis and to be accountable for the days when they are absent.

Procedures

  1. It is the responsibility of each Principal to establish attendance procedures in harmony with the following general procedure provided by the Division.

  2. It is compulsory for all students to attend school regularly and punctually and to abide by each school’s attendance policies.

  3. While there are legal (excusable) reasons for students to miss school, students are not excused from the work they missed. The following excused absences are listed in the Education Act:
    1. Illness or other unavoidable cause, as determined by the Principal,
    2. A religious holiday of the denomination to which the student(s) belongs,
    3. Days officially suspended,
    4. Parent(s) have shown to the Division sufficient cause as to why the student is not required to attend,
    5. The Superintendent excuses the student(s) from attending for a specific period of time.

  4. Each Principal shall be responsible for outlining a method of dealing with excessive or unexcused absences which shall include:
    1. A method of parental and student communication.
    2. An indication of what an intolerable number of absences might be.
    3. A recognition of the right of the Principal to deal with all attendance concerns at the school, or in severe cases:
      1. Declare the student withdrawn, if sixteen (16) years or older, provided written notification is given to the parent(s) outlining the appeal procedure.
      2. Refer the student to the Superintendent for appropriate discipline.
      3. Request the Superintendent invoke the attendance officer powers.
      4. Suspend or refer the student to the Board for expulsion.

  5. Each Principal shall include the attendance procedures in the school handbook.

References

Section 1, 7, 8, 9, 31, 46, 52, 53, 55, 197, 222 Education Act

 

Approved: May 15, 1995

Amended: November 13, 2000; August 21, 2018

Last Updated: August 4, 2021