Compulsory Attendance (90% Attendance Rule)
State law requires that a student who is at least six years of age and who has not yet reached their 19th birthday, shall attend school, as well as any applicable accelerated instruction program, extended year program, or tutorial session, unless the student is otherwise excused from attendance or legally exempt.
A student will be required to attend any assigned accelerated instruction program before or after school or during the summer if the student does not meet the passing standards on the state assessment for his or her grade level and/or applicable subject area.
State law allows exemptions to the compulsory attendance requirements for the following activities and event, as long as the student makes up all work:
- Religious holy days;
- Required court appearances;
- Activities related to obtaining U.S. citizenship;
- Documented health care appointments for the student, if the student returns to school on the same day of the appointment and brings a note from the health-care provider.
- For children of military families, absences of up to five days will be excused for a student to visit a parent, stepparent, or legal guardian going to, on leaving from, or returning from certain deployments.
To receive credit or a final grade in a class, a student must attend the class at least 90 percent of the days it is offered. A student who attends fewer than 90 percent of the days the class is offered will be referred to the attendance review committee. The committee will determine whether there are extenuating circumstances for the absences and how the student can regain credit for a final grade.
All absences, excused or unexcused, may be held against a student’s attendance requirement.