Absences and Excuses

Absences and Excuses (09.123)

Pupils are required to attend regularly and punctually the school in which they are enrolled. Recording of absences and tardies shall be made in compliance with the requirements of 702 KAR 007:125.¹

Truancy Defined
Excused Absences

Truancy Defined

Any student who has attained the age of six (6), but has not reached his/her eighteenth (18th) birthday, who has been absent from school without valid excuse for three (3) days or more, or tardy without valid excuse on three (3) days or more, is a truant.

Any student enrolled in a public school who has attained the age of eighteen (18) years, but has not reached his/her twenty-first (21st) birthday, who has been absent from school without valid excuse for three (3) or more days, or tardy without valid excuse on three (3) or more days, is a truant.

Any student who has been reported as a truant two (2) or more times is an habitual truant.

For the purposes of establishing a student's status as a truant, a student’s attendance record is cumulative for an entire school year. When students transfer from one Kentucky district to another, attendance information from the previous district shall become part of their official attendance record for that school year.

Excused Absences

An excused absence or tardiness is one for which work may be made up, such as:

Death or severe illness in the pupil’s immediate family;
Illness of the pupil, including mental or behavioral health;
Religious holidays and practices;
One (1) day for attendance at the Kentucky State Fair;
Documented military leave;
One (1) day prior to departure of parent/guardian called to active military duty;
One (1) day upon the return of parent/guardian from active military duty;
Visitation for up to ten (10) days with the student’s parent, de facto custodian, or person with legal custody who, while on active military duty stationed outside of the country, is granted rest and recuperation leave;
Ten (10) days for students attending basic training required by a branch of the United States Armed Forces;
Students participating in any of the page programs of the General Assembly;²or
Other valid reasons as determined by the Principal, including trips qualifying as educational enhancement opportunities.

Students shall be granted an excused absence for up to ten (10) school days to pursue an educational enhancement opportunity determined by the Principal to be of significant educational value. This opportunity may include, but not be limited to, participation in an educational foreign exchange program or an intensive instructional, experiential, or performance program in one (1) of the core curriculum subjects of English, science, mathematics, social studies, foreign language, and the arts.

Unless the Principal determines that extenuating circumstances exist, requests for date(s) falling within State or District testing periods shall not be granted.

The Principal’s determination may be appealed to the Superintendent/designee whose decision may then be appealed to the Board under its grievance policy and procedures.

Students receiving an excused absence under this section shall have the opportunity to make up school work missed and shall not have their class grades adversely affected for lack of class attendance or class participation due to the excused absence.

School Handbooks

Each school handbook shall include specific attendance requirements.

Unexcused Absences

Work may be made up for unexcused absences at the discretion of the teacher involved.

Suspension

Projects or homework assigned prior to suspension shall be accepted for credit. Students shall be responsible for submitting assignments due during the time of the suspension.

Determinations concerning credit for make-up work shall be made in accordance with any Individual Education Plan (IEP) or 504 Plan in place for a student that has been suspended.

Long‑term projects assigned during the suspension and due at a later date shall be accepted.

Work assigned and due during suspension shall not be accepted.

References:

¹702 KAR 007:125

²KRS 159.035
KRS 36.396; KRS 38.470; KRS 40.366
KRS 158.070; KRS 158.183; KRS 158.293; KRS 158.294
KRS 159.140; KRS 159.150; KRS 159.180
OAG 76‑566; OAG 79‑68; OAG 79‑539; OAG 91‑79; OAG 96-28

Related Policies:

09.111; 09.122; 09.4281
09.126 (re requirements/exceptions for students from military families)

Adopted/Amended: 7/14/2022

Order #: 2022-3158

Absences and Excuses Policy 09.123 (Printable)

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Absences and Excuses