Miller R-ll School District

ATTENDANCE POLICY

Attendance Requirement

Participation in the A+ Program is both an honor and a privilege.  A student must average at least 95% attendance over the four years he/she attends high school as mandated by the A+ Schools program and the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.  The cumulative attendance information will come from the official attendance record kept by the district. Students are expected to attend school regularly and to be on time for classes.

Only extreme special circumstances (examples: hospital stay, chronic health problems, catastrophic illness, court dates, religious holidays, funeral of family member, car accident) will be considered for an appeal and must include a verification letter from the appropriate agency including specific dates and times from which the student should be considered excused.  Waivers may not be issued for absences such as routine illnesses (even those with a doctor’s note), truancy, skipping classes, parent request, vacation, transportation problems, school suspensions, work, driver’s test, non-emergency situations, and situations that involve avoidable absences.

• Students must attend Miller High School (or an A+ designated high school) for three consecutive years prior to graduation.
• A cumulative attendance record will be kept form the beginning of the student's freshman year through graduation.  Attendance will not be rounded up to meet this requirement.
• School sponsored or sanctioned activities are exempt from, and will count toward the total number of absences.
• Homebound students are not considered to be absent
• The A+ Coordinator will update each student's status o a semester basis.  A+ Status Review information will be mailed home each semester to keep parents informed.

The Absence Appeal Procedure:

 Step 1: A parent, guardian, or student should contact the A+ office and request an Attendance Appeal Form within the same semester as the absence occurred.  This request for a waiver must be completed, appropriate documentation to verify the absences attached and then returned to the A+ office. 

Step 2: When the information is received, a review committee will meet to decide if a waiver for absences for A+ status determination will be granted.

Step 3: The A+ Coordinator will notify the parents by letter of the decision. The decision of the review committee will be considered final.