Attendance

Attendance Procedures

The attendance goal for the Anchorage School District is 90% for every student for the entire school year. We recognize that the responsibility for regular attendance of a student lies with the parent of that student. However, we also understand that we have an obligation to assist parents to ensure that regular attendance does occur. The following attendance procedures are designed to encourage regular attendance and ensure communication between school and parents. The following table establishes the correlation between attendance rates and the number of days absent based on a 180 day school year:

• Excellent= 0-3 absences (98-100%)
• Good= 4-9 absences (95-98%)
• Average= 10-14 absences (92-95%)
• Poor = 15-19 absences (89-92%)
• Severe = more than 20 absences (<89%)

Definitions for Excused and Unexcused Absences and Tardies:

Excused Absences:
According to ASD Board Policy, the following conditions may result in excused absence from school:
1) Illness
2) Death or serious illness in the immediate family
3) Participation in school activities
4) Religious obligations
5) Extenuating circumstances and pre-arranged absences

Absences for family trips or other events can be pre-arranged and approved to be excused by the school principal. Please submit a Pre-Arranged Absence form for consideration. You can request the form from the front office. Requests that result in a student falling below the 90% attendance rate may not be approved as excused.

Unexcused Absences:
Any Absence that does not fall within the above criteria is unexcused and considered
truancy. At the elementary level, truancy is defined as an unexcused absence of a student for half-day or more. Truancies are cumulative throughout the school year.

Tardies:
Classes begin on Monday’s at 9:00 AM and Tuesday’s - Friday’s at 8:00 AM. Students who arrive at school later than these listed times are considered tardy. Tardies are determined to be excused or unexcused based on parent communication with the school and circumstances.

We are committed to working with families to ensure that all our students attend school at least 90% of the time. Each Monday, students with perfect attendance will be celebrated over the announcements. Each quarter, students who have met this benchmark will receive an award! Please contact us if you have any questions or if you need assistance with ensuring your child
attends school regularly and is on time.