Attendance

Parents/Guardians are required to call the school’s Attendance Office at 208-854-4374 to excuse each period of a student’s absence and notify the school when a student will not be in attendance. This is a recorded attendance line only; no staff member will answer the phone. Messages may be left 24 hours a day. District policy requires that an absence be excused within 48 hours or a truancy will be issued. See Board Policy 3121. See Board Policy 3121

Students who exceed 9 excused absences in any class during a semester excluding Medical, Activity or Extraordinary absences, may be denied credit for that class. 

• Students are allowed maximum of NINE excused absences per semester.
• More than NINE excused absences in each class may result in loss of credit and/or removal from the class.
• Students who are more than 20 minutes late are considered absent instead of tardy.

All students are expected to be in class on time. A student who is twenty or more minutes late to class will be considered absent. Students who intentionally miss class to avoid being tardy will be considered truant.

Students will be scheduled for a Friday School session on their 6th Tardy. Failure to attend OR a 7th Tardy may result in a loss of credit for that class.

Students may opt to stay in the class and appeal for credit. Appeal forms must be completed and returned to their Administrator within 5 school days in order to stay in the class. Students will only be allowed to stay in the class if behavior, academic progress, and further tardies are not an issue.

Students who believe their absences or tardies are due to extraordinary circumstances may request an attendance review. Extraordinary circumstances may include, but are not limited to, verified illness (Official documentation from a medical provider) or medical treatment, death in the family or close friends, or medical/dental appointments.

Appeal Process: If a parent/guardian wishes to appeal loss of credit, denial of promotion, truancies, or excessive tardies related to the 90% attendance requirement:

• The appeal must be filed within five school days of the Attendance Office email notification of a student’s 10th absence, which begins the appeal timeline.
• Students in grades 7–12 may remain in class while the appeal is being reviewed.
• The process begins with an informal hearing with the principal or designee.
• If needed, appeals may move to the Area Director and then the Council of Directors. The Council’s decision is final.
• Parents/guardians and students may present evidence but may not have legal representation.

It is the responsibility of both students and parents/guardians to monitor attendance regularly and submit appeals in a timely manner.

To check your child’s attendance, use the Inifnite Campus Parent Portal.

If your student needs to leave campus:

• During break, passing period, or lunch: No pass is required. Please ensure your student knows in advance and notify attendance at 208-854-4374 (call or email).
• During class time: A Pass To Leave (PTL) is required. When calling, please provide the specific time your student needs to be released so the pass can be issued correctly. Call at least one hour in advance when possible.
• Illness/emergency: Students should go to the Attendance Office for assistance, and we will contact parents as needed.
• Students may not leave class without a PTL and must check in at the Attendance Office if arriving late.

Excused Absence: An excused absence occurs when a parent or guardian notifies the school and the absence is approved. While the absence is excused, it still counts toward the student’s overall attendance percentage and the 90% (9 days per semester) attendance requirement. Examples include:

• Illness without a doctor’s note
• Family vacations or trips
• Personal or family matters

Medically Excused Absence: A medically excused absence requires a verified doctor’s note. These absences do NOT count against the student’s 90% (9 days per semester) attendance requirement.

Excused absences without a doctor’s note still count toward the 90% (9 days per semester) attendance limit.

Family vacations and trips still count toward the attendance limit, even if approved by a parent.

Medically excused absences with verified medical documentation do not count against the attendance requirement.

Examples

• Family Vacation: A student misses 5 days for a family trip.
  • The absence may be excused by a parent.
  • Missed work may be made up.
  • The 5 days still count toward the attendance percentage (9 days per semester).

• Illness Without a Doctor’s Note: A parent calls the school to report their child is sick.
  • The absence is excused.
  • The absence still counts toward the attendance percentage (9 days per semester).

• Medically Excused Illness: A student misses’ school and provides a doctor’s note. 
  • The absence is medically excused.
  • The absence does NOT count against the 90% requirement (9 days per semester).

Parents or guardians should provide oral or written communication within 48 hours of the student returning to school for an absence to be considered excused, except for school-sponsored activities.

We understand students may occasionally need to miss school. Our goal is to partner with families to support student success while meeting state attendance requirements.