Absence Monitoring by Parents

Parents are expected to monitor and are held responsible for student attendance. If a parent has a question or concern about an absence, the parent should contact the school as soon as possible.

Excused Absences

The parent/legal guardian must provide a written explanation (excuse) to the school principal for each student absence within three (3) days of the student’s return to school, or the absence will be coded unexcused.

Absences will be permitted for the following reasons:

• Illness that endangers the student’s health or the health of others.
• Students that are deemed ill by the school nurse on a given day.
• Death of an immediate family.
• Legal quarantine.
• Students that are receiving healthcare, hospitalized, etc.
• Inclement weather that would be dangerous to the life and health of the child as determined by the LEA (Vestavia Hills City Schools).
• Legal requirements for students.
• Observance of any sacred day set aside by a recognized religious denomination of which the student is a member.
• Military deployment date of a student’s parent.
• Emergency conditions as determined by the LEA (Vestavia Hills City Schools).

Unexcused Absences

Any absences not excused shall be considered unexcused.

Written Excuses

The parent/legal guardian must provide a written explanation (excuse) to the school principal or his/her designee for each student absence within three (3) days of the student’s return to school or the absence will be coded unexcused. An email from the parent will be accepted as a written excuse.

For a student’s consecutive days of absence, a parent/legal guardian may submit one written excuse for the length of the absence. A student may have no more than 10 days excused by parent note per year. After the 10^th parent excuse, a doctor or legal excuse will be required.

The written excuse must include the following:

1. Written statement from the parent or doctor stating the reason for the absence
2. The date of the absence(s)
3. The parent’s signature (email will serve as an electronic signature)

Pre-Approved Absences

The principal has the authority to approve and excuse absences for students. A principal may approve no more than 10 days requested to be excused by parent note per year. A parent may request a pre-approved absence by going to the district or school website and using the pre-approved absence form.

College-University Visits by Students

A student in grades 10-12 at Vestavia Hills High School may visit campuses of colleges/universities as a means of making his/her choice of a post-secondary institution to attend after graduation. All college visits must be pre-approved. The visits shall be considered as field trips, and therefore, not counted as a student absence if the following stipulations are met. If they are not met, the absence/s will count toward the 10 pre-approved excuses per year.

• Such college/university visits are limited to three (3) school days during a given academic year.
• Upon returning from a college/university visit, the student shall submit to the principal signed documentation from an official at the college/university as evidence that the visit occurred.

Missed Work

Students with excused absences may have five (5) school days upon returning to make up any missed work. At the teacher’s discretion, they may or may not be given the same work done by the students who were in class. Students with unexcused absences, may be allowed to make up some or all missed work at the discretion of the school administration. The student may or may not be given the same work done by the students who were in class.

Student Withdrawal Due to Absences

The Code of Alabama § 16-28-40 defines withdrawals as “more than ten (10) consecutive days or fifteen (15) days of total unexcused absences during a single semester.” A student meeting these criteria (without acceptable parent, doctor, or legal excuses) is subject to withdrawal from school.

For students seventeen (17) years of age or older who are withdrawn from school due to attendance issues, the Attendance Officer notifies the Department of Public Safety of the withdrawal. The Department of Public Safety shall deny or revoke a driver’s license or learner’s permit for the operation of a motor vehicle to any person under the age of nineteen (19) who has obtained withdrawn status.

Truancy

Truancy is defined as “unexcused absences or skipping school/class for a day or portion thereof.” Parents or guardians are required to ensure that students under their care, custody, or control attend school regularly.  Habitual or excessive absence from school may require Board officials to refer the matter to juvenile authorities or to initiate truancy proceedings.

1. On the first unexcused truancy, the parent/guardian will be notified by the school principal or his/her designee that the student was truant and the date of the truancy. The parent/guardian will also be provided with a copy of Alabama’s compulsory school attendance law and advised of the penalties that can be applied and the procedures that will be followed in the event that other unexcused absences occur.
2. On the second unexcused truancy, the parent/guardian will be notified by the school principal or his/her designee that the student has accumulated their second truancy and the date of the truancy. The parent/guardian will be encouraged to submit written documentation supporting the absence if it is to be considered excused. School officials will meet with the student to identify reasons the student has missed school.
3. Should a student accumulate four (4) unexcused absences during a school year, he/she will be referred to the school administrator. A meeting will be scheduled between the parent/guardian and administrator to review the student’s current attendance record, discuss VHCS attendance and tardy policies, and develop a plan of intervention.
4. Should a student accumulate six (6) unexcused absences during a school year, the parent/guardian will be referred to the VHCS Attendance Officer. The parent will be required to participate in the Early Warning Program provided by the Juvenile Court System and/or attend a Student Attendance meeting at the Vestavia Hills Board of Education. Attendance at these conferences is mandatory except where prior arrangements have been made or an emergency exists.
5. When the Attendance Officer has been notified by the principal or his/her designee that the student has reached 7 unexcused absences, 15 excused absences or 10 unexcused tardies, the principal or his/her designee in conference with the Attendance Officer will decide whether or not to refer the student to Early Warning.
6. The Attendance Officer will go out to the home address of the child prior to the filing with Family Court to verify the address and residency of the child.
7. The Attendance Officer will complete and provide all documentation required by the court.
8. The Attendance Officer will send the referral to Family Court, listing the date set for review.
9. The Attendance Officer will mail a letter to the parents specifying the date and time for Early Warning.
10. The Attendance Officer will be present at the review.
11. The Attendance Officer will report to the school the action taken by Early Warning.