State law requires that you authorize your child’s absence from school and notify us in advance or at the time of the absence. Your call to us will save time and help protect your child. If your child is absent and we don’t hear from you, we’ll do our best to contact you by phone within two hours after the first missed class. It’s vital that we have one or more telephone numbers to contact you during the school day. If your numbers change, let us know right away. If no notice of authorizations is received by one day after return, the absence will be considered unexcused.
Please let us know if your child will be out of school for an extended period. If your child is absent three (3) or more days, a doctor’s excuse must be provided to the school. Students absent for ten (10) consecutive "unexcused" school days, except for excused absences identified herein, or has a prolonged illness, shall be withdrawn from the school, pursuant to A.R.S. §15-901.
It is important for parents to make certain that their children attend school on a regular basis. Good attendance is directly related to student achievement and success in school. According to Arizona’s compulsory attendance law, students must be in school until they reach the age of 16 or successfully complete the 10th grade. Students can be cited for failing to attend school with 5 or more unexcused absences, or with excessive absences.
Arizona Revised Statutes, absences are considered to be “excessive” when a student has missed ten percent (10%) of the number of days school has been in session. Consequences can result in prosecution by the courts. Cases involving prolonged illness or unusual circumstances will be reviewed by the school administration.
Our policy requires that absences from school be for “necessary and important reasons. Such reasons include, but are not limited to, illness, bereavement, other family emergencies and observance of major religious holidays of the family’s faith.