Attendance

The principal of each school is responsible for attendance and truancy issues at his/her school. Principals may designate an individual to assist them as the coordinator of attendance and truancy issues.

I. Definitions

These definitions apply to all attendance related policies:

1. Tardy. Any student who is not at school or in class on time and has not been excused is tardy.
2. Half Day of Absence. “Half day of absence” means that a student received at least three hours of instructional time, but less than a full day of instructional time.
3. Truancy. “Truancy” means an unexcused absence or tardiness from school.
4. Habitual Truancy. “Habitual truancy” means ten half days or more of unexcused absences during a school year.
5. Unexcused Absence. An “unexcused absence” is an absence which has not been excused.
6. Excused Absence. An “excused absence” is an absence approved by a school principal.
7. Early Dismissal. “Early Dismissal” is any dismissal before the end of the school day.

II. Absences

Excused Absences

Excused absences, late arrivals and early dismissals are sometimes necessary for the health and welfare of the student, or result from a significant family emergency or school-sponsored activity. When an excused absence originates from outside the school, it must be documented and, when possible, this documentation should be done in advance. Policy JH-R gives detailed information about the requirements and procedures to be followed.

The Board considers the following to be excused absences:

• Illness
• Recovery from an accident
• Required court attendance
• Medical and dental appointments
• Death in the immediate family
• Observation or celebration of a bona fide religious holiday
• Approved participation in a school co-curricular or extra-curricular activity
• Field trips
• Out-of-school suspensions
• College visits
• Such other good cause as may be acceptable to the Principal or permitted by law

Principals (or their designees) may consider requests from parents to approve excused absences for other extenuating circumstances.

Unexcused Absences

Note that the following are considered unexcused absences:

• Family vacations
• Work
• Car or transportation problems, not including late bus arrival
• Non-medical appointments
• Providing child-care

At the discretion of the principal, class time missed due to habitual tardiness may be counted towards half days of unexcused absence.

If parents are dissatisfied with an unexcused absence decision, they may request a conference with the Principal to again explain the reasons for non-attendance. The Principal may then reconsider the initial determination. However, the Principal’s decision shall be final.

Absence and Extracurricular Activities

In order to participate in extracurricular activities students must attend a full day of school on the day of the activity, or, if the activity occurs on a non-school day, the last school day preceding the activity. Exceptions for an excused absence may be granted by a school administrator.

III. Intervention

The Board directs the Superintendent, Truant Officer(s), Principals and staff to intervene and ensure daily school attendance according to the District attendance protocol policy JHA.

When necessary and after the steps of policy JHA have been followed, the Truant Officer(s) may pursue available legal remedies to resolve the truancy.

IV. Reporting

The Superintendent will provide a report to the Board in January and June of each year on District attendance. At a minimum this report will provide both a breakdown of excused absences and unexcused absences for each school. Each of these breakdowns will include the numbers of students who have: 0-4,

5-10, 11-15, 16-20, 21-25, 26-30, and 31 or more absences. The number of five (5) and ten (10) day letters that have been waived will also be reported.

Nashua Board of Education Policy JH

V. Consequences

Any secondary student with twenty or more unexcused absences may be prohibited from any extracurricular activities and may lose all privileges for a period of one year from the date of the last offense. The District reserves the right to pursue legal action with parents who fail to meet their legal

responsibility to ensure their children attend school on a daily basis.

Legal References:

RSA 193:1 Duty of Parent; Compulsory Attendance by Pupil
RSA 193:7 Penalty
RSA 193:8 Notice Requirements
RSA 193:16 School Attendance
NH Code of Administrative Rules, Section Ed 306.04 (a) (1), Attendance and Absenteeism
NH Code of Administrative Rules, Section Ed 306.04 (c), Policy Relative to Attendance and Absenteeism

Absenteeism:

NH Code of Administrative Rules, Section Ed 306.18 (c) (6)
RSA 189:35-a Truancy Defined
RSA 189:1-a Duty to Provide Education

Legal References Disclaimer: These references are not intended to be considered part of this policy, nor should they be taken as a comprehensive statement of the legal basis for the Board to enact this policy, nor as a complete recitation of related legal authority. Instead, they are provided as additional resources for those interested in the subject matter of the policy.

Board Approved:
03/14/2011 [Replaces POPPS 3209, 3209.1, and 3243]
11/14/2011
10/30/2017
05/23/2022