JH & High School Attendance Policy

Attendance in class is necessary for you to get the most possible out of the opportunity to attend school. Without regular attendance, it is impossible for you to do your best work. If you are under 16 years old, state law requires that you attend school unless you are ill or have been excused.

Students are expected to have parents or guardians call the central office prior to 9:00 AM notifying them of all absenteeism. All work missed or assigned because of absence must be completed. If the work is not completed, no credit can be given. A call home will occur when a student is absent, but no communication has been received to excuse the student’s absence from class.

Request for homework should be made when a student has been absent. The request should be made before 9:30 the morning of absence to allow us to get assignments from all the subject areas. At the time of the request for homework, the office needs to be informed as to which books the student has at home. If another student is to take the assignments home for the student who is absent, the parents should make previous arrangements with that student.

In accordance with board policy, approved or excused absences are those that are necessary and/or unavoidable and have received administrative approval. Unapproved or unexcused absences are those that are unnecessary and/or avoidable. If a student is absent for an unapproved reason, the parent/guardian shall still be responsible for calling the principal’s office to explain the absence and students will be subject to consequences. School administration may require applicable documentation to verify an excused or approved absence.

In accordance with the North Dakota Century Code, all students in grades 7-12 can have no more than 3 days of unexcused absence per semester, 6 half days of unexcused absence per semester or 21 class periods of unexcused absences per semester to receive credit for that semester. Communicate with the HS Principal with any questions concerning attendance, as attendance issues will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. If you leave school after 8:35 A.M., but before 3:26 P.M. - please come to the office and sign out of school, indicating where you are going and the time you are leaving. Students who are present when school starts and must leave school during the day must have permission from the office.