Attendance Policy

Homer-Center School District 

The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) has reissued guidelines regarding compulsory attendance and truancy elimination, to ensure that students attend school regularly. It is obviously impossible to teach students who are absent. Many failures are due to unnecessary absence; consequently, many withdrawals are due to unnecessary failures.

The school district is responsible for monitoring and maintaining student attendance records. All absences will be treated as unlawful, unless a written excuse is received within three calendar days, and approved by the building principal. Pennsylvania law broadly defines absences as excused when a student is prevented from attendance for physical, mental or other urgent reasons. Some examples of legal and illegal absences are as follows:

Legal Absences
Unexcused Absences/Excuses
- Sickness - Overslept
- Impassible Roads - Visiting, without prior school approval
- Death in the Family - Away, without prior school approval

- Educational travel with prior school approval.

 - Work
- Weather so inclement as to endanger the health of the child.  

The Principal will make the final determination as to the legality in cases where the nature of the absence is questionable.

Parents will be informed in writing upon each incident of unlawful absence. Students who miss 10 consecutive school days must be dropped from the rolls unless the school is provided with evidence that the excuse is legal or that the school is pursuing compulsory attendance prosecution.

 

As recommended by the PDE the following steps will be followed:

  • First unlawful absence – a notice will be sent to the parents with a school contact person’s name and phone number.
  • Second unlawful absence – a second notice will be sent to the parents with a school contact person’s name and number.
  • Third unlawful absence – a third notice will be sent by certified mail to the parents. A meeting time and date will also be included in an effort to resolve the truancy issues. Furthermore, a mutually agreed upon Truancy Elimination Plan (TEP) will be established to try and resolve the truant behavior.
  • Fourth unlawful absence – if the child is unlawfully absent for a fourth time, the parents will be notified by certified mail, and a citation will be sent to the district magistrate.

Beyond the fourth notice, the school is not obligated to inform parents in writing of absences, but may call to inform parents of continual truant behavior. All incidents of truancy will be referred to the district magistrate. Also, continued truancy will result in the filing of citations on a weekly basis with the district magistrate, as well as notification to Children and Youth Services.

Students and parents should protect their own interests by insuring regular attendance by following the Compulsory Attendance Act.

 

Rules and Regulations Governing Attendance  

  • Upon eight (8) days of absence from school, a letter informing the parent of the HCSB Attendance Policy will be sent to the parent.
  • Upon ten (10) days of absence from school, a second letter will be sent home, informing the parent that any absence after ten (10) days must be accompanied by a doctor’s statement or it will be identified as unexcused and/or unlawful.
  • Upon obtaining more than three (3) unlawful absences, the local magistrate will be notified of the violation of the PA School Code.
  • If extenuating circumstances exist, parents must contact the school so that the situation can be remedied.
  • In the event that a student comes to school and then becomes ill and is sent home by our school nurse, the absence will be deemed as an excused absence for that day.