.This policy is to be used with Policy 4100 Compulsory Attendance and 4171 High School Citizenship / Attendance Policy in encouraging regular attendance to maximize the educational experience. This policy clarifies the obligations of the student, parent, and school authorities to resolve attendance problems. It further describes when and how a Notice of Truancy, Habitual Truant Citation, Notice of Compulsory Education Violation, referral to Juvenile Court, and a referral to the county or district attorney will be implemented. Each year the Weber School District Board of Education will review this policy and attendance data for the prior year.
DEFINITIONS
Absence means a student’s non-attendance at school for one school day or part of one school
day.
Valid excuse means an excuse for an absence from school and may include the following:
*Illness
*Death in the family
*Approved school activity – as designated by the school principal
*Approved absence – any other absence approved according to school policy consistent with
state law and the Weber School District High School Citizenship/Attendance Policy,
*Examples may include, but are not limited to:
Absences consistent with student’s Individual Education Plan (IEP) or Section 504
accommodations plans
Absences due to family events/activities
Other absences approved by the principal
Most approved absences will accumulate high school attendance credit loss under the high
school attendance policy (Policy 4171).
Truant means absent without a valid excuse.
Minor means a person under the age of 18 years.
School-age minor means a minor who is at least 6 years old but younger than 18 years old and is not emancipated (legally released from the control of parents or guardian) or married.
Notice of Truancy may be issued to a school-age minor who is at least 12 years old and has been truant at least 5 times during the school year. This notice shall direct the student and the parent/guardian to meet with school authorities to discuss the student’s truancies and directs them to cooperate with the school district in securing regular attendance by the school-age minor.
Habitual Truant Citation may be issued to a school-age minor who is at least 12 years old who
has either 10 truancies or has failed to cooperate with school authorities after receiving a Notice
of Truancy.
Notice of Compulsory Education Violation may be issued to the parent of a school-age child
who is absent without a valid excuse at least 5 times during the school year. The notice shall
direct the parent to meet with school authorities to discuss the child’s attendance problem and
directs them to cooperate with the school authorities in securing regular attendance by the
school-age child.
COMPREHENSIVE ATTENDANCE & TRUANCY POLICY