Chapter 2 - Attendance, Promotion, & Graduation

District 47 considers attendance in class to be a crucial component of a student’s education. As such, regular attendance constitutes part of the academic program in the District and is an important part of a student’s academic performance and success. Illinois law requires that whoever has custody or control of any child between six (by September 1st) and seventeen years of age shall assure that the child attends school in the district in which he or she resides, during the entire time school is in session (unless the child has already graduated from high school). Illinois law also requires that whoever has custody or control of a child who is enrolled in the school, regardless of the child’s age, shall assure that the child attends school during the entire time school is in session.

Subject to specific requirements in State law, the following children are not required to attend public school: (1) any child attending a private school (including a home school) or parochial school, (2) any child who is physically or mentally unable to attend school (including a pregnant student suffering medical complications as certified by her physician), (3) any child lawfully and necessarily employed, (4) any child over 12 and under 14 years of age while in confirmation classes, (5) any child absent because of religious reasons, including to observe a religious holiday, for religious instruction, or because his or her religion forbids secular activity on a particular day(s) or time of day, and (6) any child 16 years of age or older who is employed and is enrolled in a graduation incentives program.

For students who are required to attend school, there are two types of absences: excused and unexcused. Excused absences include: illness (including up to 5 days per school year for mental or behavioral health of the student), observance of a religious holiday or event, death in the immediate family, family emergency, situations beyond the control of the student as determined by the school board (i.e. doctor/dentist appt., required court appearances, etc.), circumstances that cause reasonable concern to the parent/guardian for the student’s mental, emotional, or physical health or safety, attending a military honors funeral to sound TAPS, attend a civic event, or other reason as approved by the building administration. For students who are parents, expectant parents, or victims of domestic or sexual violence, an excused absence includes the fulfillment of a parenting responsibility and addressing circumstances resulting from domestic or sexual violence.

Additionally, a student will be excused for up to 5 days in cases where the student’s parent/guardian is an active duty member of the uniformed services and has been called to duty for, is on leave from, or has immediately returned from deployment to a combat zone or combat-support postings. The Board, in its discretion, may excuse a student for additional days relative to such leave or deployment. A student and the student’s parent/guardian are responsible for obtaining assignments from the student's teachers prior to any excused absences and for ensuring that such assignments are completed by the student prior to his or her return to school.

Students who are excused from school will be given a reasonable timeframe to make up missed homework and classwork assignments.

All other absences are considered unexcused. Parents are required to log all absences in ParentVUE. Pre-arranged excused absences must be approved by the building principal.

ParentVUE Attendance options

Below is a list of the new codes and associated symptoms to help you choose the appropriate option.

• Sick- Cold: Please use this option when your student has a cough, cold, runny nose, or tests positive for influenza. If they test positive for influenza, please indicate what kind (A or B). 
• Sick- Contagious: Please use this option for when your student has strep throat, pink eye, or some other contagious illness. 
• Sick- Fever: Please use this option for when your student has a fever over 100.4. Please note what the temperature was and if there are any additional diagnoses. 
• Sick- Vomit/Diarrhea: Please use this option for when your student has stomach issues such as norovirus, rotavirus, stomach flu. Please note if there is a diagnosis.
• Vacation (UnExcused) - Please use this option when your child will be missing school due to a planned vacation.
• Other: Please use this option for all other reasons your child is sick, such as asthma, diabetes, allergies, seizure concern, etc. A note with specific details is required when choosing this option.

The school may require documentation explaining the reason for the student’s absence. Any absence of 3 or more consecutive days at any one time will require documentation from a medical provider explaining the reason for the student’s absence. Parents/guardians must submit documentation to the school nurse within 5 school days from the date the request was made by the school. Failure to provide documentation for absences may result in the absence being considered unexcused or truant.

If greater than 15% of days are missed, all subsequent absences will need to be excused by the school nurse, or by a medical doctor’s release, which specifies the dates, and reasons for the absence. School administration is required to report unexcused absences and/or truancy totaling greater than 5% of days to the Regional Office of Education. 

In the event of any absence, the student’s parent/guardian is required to report the absence via Parentvue before 8:00 a.m. each day the student is absent giving the student’s name, the reporting person’s relationship to the student, the student’s grade, the student’s homeroom teacher, and the reason for the absence. If a report has not been made to the school by 10:00 a.m. on the day of a student’s absence, a contact will be made to the home to notify the parent/guardian that the student is not at school. If the parent has not called in and can not be contacted by noon, the student will be marked truant and the student will be required to submit a signed note from the parent/guardian explaining the reason for the absence. Failure to do so shall result in an unexcused absence. Upon request of the parent/guardian, the reason for an absence will be kept confidential.

Diagnostic Procedures for Identifying Student Absences and Support Services to Truant or Chronically Truant Students

State law requires every school district to collect and review its chronic absence data and determine what systems of support and resources are needed to engage chronically absent students and their families to encourage the habit of daily attendance and promote success. This review must include an analysis of chronic absence data from each attendance center.

Furthermore, State law provides that school districts are encouraged to provide a system of support to students who are at risk of reaching or exceeding chronic absence levels with strategies and are also encouraged to make resources available to families such as those available through the State Board of Education's Family Engagement Framework to support and engage students and their families to encourage heightened school engagement and improved daily school attendance.

"Chronic absence" means absences that total 10% or more of school days of the most recent academic school year, including absences with and without valid cause, and out-of-school suspensions.

The School and District use the following diagnostic procedures for identifying the causes of unexcused student absences: Interviews with the student, his or her parent/guardian and any school officials who may have information about the reasons for the student’s attendance problems.

Supportive services to truant or chronically truant students include: parent conferences, student counseling, family counseling, and information about existing community services.

Vacations

Whenever possible, visits, trips, appointments, etc. should be scheduled on non-attendance days or the weekends. The winter and spring breaks are the two long vacations each year. Normal school activities and routines will be held the last day before vacation begins and immediately after returning to school. It is very important not to miss these days. It is requested that parents/guardians communicate one week in advance of departure with building administration if family vacations are to be taken during the school year. Absences due to vacations during the school year will be recorded as unexcused absences.

Tardy (Late to School/Class)

Tardiness is considered a serious matter. When a student receives four (4) tardies in a trimester, a letter will be sent to the parent(s)/guardian(s) to apprise them of the situation and the administration will design an appropriate intervention to address the chronic tardiness of the student. 

A student will be released from school, as an excused absence, to observe a religious holiday or for religious instruction. It is requested that a student’s parent/guardian give written notice to the building administration at least five (5) calendar days before the student’s anticipated absence(s).

Students excused for religious reasons will be given an opportunity to make up all missed work, including homework and tests, for equivalent academic credit. 

If a student’s absence is excused, unexcused for the purpose of vacation, or if a student is suspended from school, he/she will be permitted to make up all missed work, including homework and tests, for equivalent academic credit. Students who are unexcused from school will not be allowed to make up missed work (unless unexcused for the purpose of vacation as stated above).

Student attendance is critical to the learning process. Therefore, truancy is a serious issue and will be dealt with in a serious manner by each school and the District.

Students who miss more than 1% but less than 5% of the prior 180 regular school days without valid cause (a recognized excuse) are truant. Students who miss 5% or more of the prior 180 regular school days without valid cause (a recognized excuse) are considered chronic truants. Students who are chronic truants will be offered support services and resources aimed at correcting the truancy issue. 

If chronic truancy persists after support services and other resources are made available, the school and District will take further action, including:

• Referral to the truancy officer
• Reporting to officials under the Juvenile Court Act
• Referral to the State’s Attorney
• Appropriate school discipline

A student who misses 15 consecutive days of school without valid cause and who cannot be located or, after exhausting all available support services, cannot be compelled to return to school is subject to expulsion from school.

A parent or guardian who knowingly and willfully permits a child to be truant is in violation of State law. 

School progress reports are issued to students on a trimester basis at the elementary level and every six (6) weeks at the middle school level. Parents access their child’s progress reports online once released via Synergy ParentVUE. For questions regarding grades, please contact the classroom teacher(s). 

The decision to promote a student to the next grade level is based on successful completion of the curriculum, attendance, performance on standardized tests and other testing. A student will not be promoted based upon age or any other social reason not related to academic performance.

Honor Roll at Middle School

Students at the middle school level are eligible for one of two honor rolls, which are compiled and posted at the end of each trimester. If a student achieves a grade point average between 3.0 and 3.49, he or she will be placed on the “Honor Roll”. If a student achieves a grade point average of 3.5 or higher, he or she will be placed on the “High Honor Roll”. All honor roll students are expected to exhibit satisfactory citizenship. Special recognition will be given to students who achieve honor roll status.

Homework is used as a way for students to practice what they have learned in the classroom. The time requirements and the frequency of homework will vary depending on a student’s teacher, ability and grade level. Board Policy, 6:290, Homework.

Students who are absent from school for a valid cause (an excused absence) may make up missed homework in a reasonable timeframe.

In order to be excused from participation in physical education, a student must present an appropriate excuse from his or her parent/guardian or from a person licensed under the Medical Practice Act. The excuse may be based on medical or religious prohibitions. An excuse because of medical reasons must include a signed statement from a person licensed under the Medical Practice Act that corroborates the medical reason for the request. An excuse based on religious reasons must include a signed statement from a member of the clergy that corroborates the religious reason for the request. Upon written notice from a student’s parent/guardian, a student will be excused from engaging in the physical activity components of physical education during a period of religious fasting.

When deemed appropriate or necessary by the IEP team, students with an IEP may also be excused from P.E. courses.

Special activities in physical education will be provided for a student whose physical or emotional condition, as determined by a person licensed under the Medical Practices Act, prevents his or her participation in the physical education course.

State law prohibits the School District from honoring parental excuses based upon a student’s participation in athletic training, activities, or competitions conducted outside the auspices of the District. 

Students who have been excused from physical education shall return to the course as soon as practical. The following considerations will be used to determine when a student shall return to a physical education course:

1. The time of year when the student’s participation ceases; and 
2. The student’s class schedule.

The District provides for an Accelerated Placement Program (APP) for qualified students. It provides students with an educational setting with curriculum options that are usually reserved for students who are older or in higher grades than the student. Accelerated placement includes but may not be limited to: early entrance to kindergarten or first grade, accelerating a student in a single subject and grade acceleration. Participation is open to all students who demonstrate high ability and who may benefit from accelerated placement. It is not limited to students who have been identified as gifted or talented. 

Such referrals should be made to the Asst. Superintendent of Student Learning before April 1st for consideration for the following school year. The exception may apply for those students whose parents are seeking skipping of Kindergarten and early entrance into first grade.  In those cases, referrals should be by June 1st at the latest. Requests after either of these deadlines will not be considered. Please contact the building principal for additional information.

A student who is absent from school, or whose physician, physician assistant, or licensed advanced practice registered nurse anticipates his or her absence from school, because of a medical condition may be eligible for instruction in the student’s home or hospital.

Appropriate educational services from qualified staff will begin no later than five school days after receiving a written statement from a physician, physician assistant, or licensed advanced practice registered nurse. Instructional or related services for a student receiving special education services will be determined by the student’s individualized education program.

A student who is unable to attend school because of pregnancy or pregnancy-related conditions, the fulfillment of parenting obligations related to the health of the child, or health and safety concerns arising from domestic or sexual violence will be provided home instruction under the following circumstanes: 

1. Before the birth of the child when the student’s physician, physical assistant, or licensed advance practice registered nurse indicates, in writing, that she is medically unable to attend regular classroom instruction
2. For up to 3 months after the child’s birth or a miscarriage
3. When a student must care for his or her ill child if:
   1. The child’s physician, physician assistant, or advanced practice registered nurse informs the school, in writing, that the child has a serious health condition that would require the student to be absent from school for two or more consecutive weeks; and
   2. The student or the student’s parent/guardian informs the school, in writing, that the student needs to care for the child during this period.
4. The student must treat physical or mental health complications or address safety concerns arising from domestic or sexual violence when a health care provider or an employee of the student's domestic or sexual violence organization informs the school in writing that the care is needed by the student and will cause the student's absence from school for two or more consecutive weeks.

The school may reassess home instruction provided to a student under No. 3 or No. 4 every two months to determine the student's continuing need for home instruction.

Periodic conferences will be held between appropriate school personnel, parent(s)/guardian(s), and hospital staff to coordinate course work and facilitate a student’s return to school.

For information on home or hospital instruction, contact the Certified School Nurse in your child’s school.

Parents or guardians have the right to inspect all instructional materials used as part of their child’s education. If you believe that curriculum, instructional materials, or programs violate rights guaranteed by any law or Board policy, you may file a complaint under the District’s uniform grievance policy.

Parents or guardians with other suggestions or complaints about curriculum, instructional materials, or programs should complete a Curriculum Objection Form, which is available by contacting the Department of Student Learning at the CORE Center.  A parent or guardian may also request that their child be exempt from using a particular instructional material or participating in certain course content or programs by completing a Curriculum Objection Form.

Exempting a child from using instructional material or refusing to allow a child from taking or participating in course content or a program that allows parents or guardians to object in writing and/or opt their child out of participation shall not be reason for disciplinary action or academic penalty to the student.