Attendance and Truancy

Attendance Philosophy (Board Policy 7:70)

Our attendance policy is based upon the following assumption:

1. In accordance with the requirements of the SCHOOL CODE of Illinois and in recognition of the responsibilities imposed upon parents, it is the policy of BPS101 that students shall attend school on a regular basis.  Student attendance is not optional; it is a requirement. Batavia Elementary Schools’ educational program is built on the premise that regular attendance is vital to a student’s success in school. Seeing that a student maintains regular attendance requires a cooperative effort by the student, parent(s), or guardian(s), and school personnel. The Board of Education believes that the school administration and staff have a duty to rigorously and consistently enforce school regulations dealing with class attendance.
2. While the major responsibility for attendance rests with the students, the school and the parents or guardians share this responsibility. Parents or guardians are obligated to follow proper procedures to inform the school when their son or daughter is absent and to give the reason for the absence.

Attendance Procedures

Parents, guardians, and students should be aware of and follow these procedures:

1. A parent or guardian should call the school absence line and leave a message each day the student will be absent. A message should be left that indicates the student’s name and reason for the absence. If a call is not made by 9 a.m., the school will contact the parent or guardian regarding their child’s absence.  

Late to School Procedures

1. Any student arriving after 9 a.m. is to report directly to the Main Office to be issued a pass. Once attendance has been taken, no student will be admitted to class without a pass.  
2. If a legitimate reason for lateness exists, parents should write a note or call the school to inform the school office. Without this communication, the tardiness will be considered unexcused.

Appointments/Vacation/Club Sports

In order to maximize academic success, every effort should be made to not miss school for club sports, doctor/dental appointment or for vacation purposes. Vacations and club sports are considered unexcused absences. Occasionally, situations may arise which make it necessary for students to be absent for these reasons. Students are responsible for missed work and for communicating with their teachers both prior to, and after the days missed.

Excessive Absenteeism

Batavia Elementary Schools consider absenteeism excessive when it significantly interferes with a student’s learning reflected in academic performance or social development.  Excessive absenteeism includes excessive tardiness. Kane County requires parents be contacted when their student has reached 5% (nine days) of absences in a school year. Excessive absences beyond that may result in a referral to the Kane County Truancy Department.

Excused Absences

The school district’s policy states that absences shall be excused for the following reasons: personal illness, bereavement, quarantine, family emergencies, observances of religious holidays, or planned absence initiated by a specific written request from a parent or guardian approved in advance by the principal or designee.  

Medical Documentation

If more than three days absent, parents or guardians may be required to present medical documentation of physical or emotional conditions causing a student’s absence in order for it to be marked excused.

Resources and Supportive Services

The following resources and supportive services are available to students with attendance problems and their parents or guardians: conferences with school personnel; problem solving by the building level team; referral to community agencies.

Home and Hospital Instruction (Board Policy 6:150)

A student absent for more than two consecutive weeks because of health or physical impairment will be provided the services of a certified teacher in the home or hospital. Appropriate educational services shall begin as soon as eligibility has been established with a written statement from a licensed medical examiner and a written parental or guardian request filed in the Office of the Superintendent.   

Inclement Weather

If weather becomes a factor and you believe school may be closed, please check the district website at www.bps101.net. If you are subscribed to the Building Messenger service, you will receive a call, email, and/or text to the identified phone numbers. Please do not call the school.  Stations that carry school closing information include WBBM 780 AM, WLS 890 AM, WMAQ 670 AM, and WGN 720 AM.

Student Sign-In/Sign-Out

Students are not allowed to leave the school building during the day without being excused through the Main Office. Parents or Guardians MUST come to the main school office and sign students out. Students waiting to be picked up by a parent will be held in this office. Students returning to school during the day must come to the Main Office and sign in.

If school personnel deem it is in the student’s best interest to go home, the office will call parents to pick up their child. Parents must then come to the Main Office to sign their child out of school.

Truancy

Batavia Elementary Schools consider a student truant when he/she is absent without valid cause for a school day or portion thereof, as defined in Section 26-2a of the Illinois School Code.

Chronic Truancy

Batavia Elementary Schools considers a student to be a chronic truant who is absent without valid cause for 5% or more of the 180 regular attendance days.

Referral of Chronic Truants

Batavia Elementary Schools will refer chronically truant students, as defined under Truancy, to the Kane County Regional Office of Education.