PIKE COUNTY SCHOOLS ATTENDANCE POLICY
Attendance Requirements
COMPULSORY ATTENDANCE
All children in the district who have entered kindergarten or who are between the ages of six (6),
as of October 1, and sixteen (16), except those specifically exempted by statute, shall enroll and
be in regular attendance in the schools to which they are assigned.1
Before an unmarried student between the ages of sixteen (16) and eighteen (18) may withdraw
from school and terminate education prior to graduation, s/he shall confer with the Principal or
designee, and s/he shall secure written permission from her/his parents.1 (See Board Policy
09.111.)
EXEMPTIONS FROM COMPULSORY ATTENDANCE
The Board shall exempt the following from compulsory attendance:
1. A graduate from an accredited or approved 4-year high school,
2. A pupil who is enrolled in a private or parochial school,
3. A pupil who is less than seven (7) years old and in regular attendance in a private
kindergarten nursery school,
4. A pupil whose physical or mental condition prevents or renders inadvisable, attendance
at school or application to study,
5. A pupil who is enrolled and in regular attendance in private, parochial, or church
school programs for exceptional children, or
6. A pupil who is enrolled and in regular attendance in a state supported program for
exceptional children.2
PHYSICIAN'S STATEMENT REQUIRED
The Board, before granting an exemption, shall require a signed statement as required by law
unless a student's individual education plan (IEP) specifies that placement of the child with a
disability at home or in a hospital is the least restrictive environment for providing services.2
EXCEPTIONS TO PRESENCE AT SCHOOL
Students must be physically present in school to be counted in attendance, except under the
following conditions:
1. Students shall be counted in attendance when they are receiving home/hospital,
institutional,2 or court-ordered instruction in another setting.
2. Participation of a pupil in 4-H activities that are regularly scheduled and under the
supervision of a county extension agent or the designated 4-H club leader shall be
considered school attendance.3
Attendance Requirements
EXCEPTIONS TO PRESENCE AT SCHOOL (CONTINUED)
3. Students may participate in cocurricular activities and be counted as being in attendance
during the instructional school day, provided the Principal/designee has given prior
approval to the scheduling of the activities. Approval shall be granted only when
cocurricular activities and trips are instructional in nature, directly related to the
instructional program, and scheduled to minimize absences from classroom instruction.4
4. Students participating in an off-site virtual high school class or block may be counted in
attendance in accordance with requirements set out in Kentucky Administration
Regulation.4
5. Students having an individual education plan (IEP) that requires less than full-time
instructional services shall not be required to be present for a full school day.4
6. Students who attend classes for moral instruction at the time specified and for the period
fixed shall be credited with the time spent as if they had been in actual attendance in
school, and the time shall be calculated as part of the actual school work required by law.
Students shall not be penalized for any school work missed during the specified moral
instruction time.5
REFERENCES:
1KRS 159.010; OAG 85-55
2KRS 159.030
3KRS 159.035
4702 KAR 007:125
5KRS 158.240
KRS 159.180; KRS 159.990
OAG 79-68; OAG 79-539
OAG 87-40; OAG 97-26
RELATED POLICIES:
08.131; 08.1312
09.111; 09.123; 09.36
Adopted/Amended: 08/17/2004
Order #: 04-08-V-06
Absences and Excuses
It is the goal of Pike County Schools to help students develop skills, habits and knowledge
necessary to be responsible citizens and productive life-long learners. Most of our students will
find themselves in a work environment where regular attendance, punctuality and responsible
behavior are required. It is the function of the schools to prepare students for this environment by
fostering these habits. Attendance at school is also necessary for academic success. Therefore,
students are expected to attend school daily and be on time for all classes and other school
functions.
Recording of absences and tardies shall be made in compliance with the requirements of 702
KAR 007:125.1
A. KENTUCKY COMPULSORY ATTENDANCE LAW
Parent or custodian to send child to school-Age limits for compulsory attendance
Except as provided in KRS 159.030, each parent, guardian, or other person residing in the state
and having in custody or charge any child between the ages of six (6) and sixteen (16) shall send
the child to a regular public day school for the full term that the public school of the District in
which the child resides is in session, or the public school that the Board of Education of the
District makes provision for the child to attend. Any parent or guardian who elects to send a
child five (5) years of age to school shall keep the child in regular attendance. Every child who is
a resident in this state is subject to the laws relating to compulsory attendance. Neither s/he nor
the person in charge of him/her shall be excused from the operation of those laws or the penalties
under them on the ground that the child's residence is seasonal or that his/her parent is a resident
in another state.
The residence of the child's parent or guardian will be the governing factor of school
attendance.
B. WHAT CONSTITUTES TRUANCY
Any student who has attained the age of six (6), but has not reached his/her eighteenth (18th)
birthday, who has who has been absent from school without valid excuse for three (3) days, or
tardy on three (3) days, is a truant.
Any student enrolled in a public school who has attained the age of eighteen (18) years, but has
not reached his/her twenty-first (21st) birthday, who has been absent from school without valid
excuse for three (3) or more days, or tardy without valid excuse on three (3) or more days, is a
truant.
Any student who has been reported as a truant two (2) times is a habitual truant.
A tardy can occur in either the morning or afternoon.
For the purposes of establishing a student's status as a truant, a student's attendance record is
cumulative for an entire school year. When students transfer from one Kentucky district to
another, attendance information from the previous district shall become part of their official
attendance record for that school year.
Absences and Excuses
C. VALID ABSENCES (requires written permission)
1. Illness-parent/guardian note (not to exceed five (5)
2. Court (documented)
3. Illness (medical excuse)*
4. Driver's License text or examination (1/2 day-two times)
5. Death in immediate family
6. Medical appointment of student
7. Prearranged absence
8. Documented military leave
9. One (1) day prior to departure of parent/guardian called to active military duty
10. One (1) day upon the return of parent/guardian from active military duty
11. Visitation for up to ten (10) days with the student's parent, de facto custodian, or person
with legal custody who, while on active military duty stationed outside of the country, is
granted rest and recuperation leave
12. Religious holidays
13. Other circumstances as approved by Principal, including trips qualifying as educational
enhancement opportunities.
Students shall be granted an excused absence for up to ten (10) school days to pursue
an educational enhancement opportunity determined by the Principal to be of
significant educational value. This opportunity may include, but not be limited to,
participation in an educational foreign exchange program or an intensive instructional,
experiential, or performance program in one (1) of the core curriculum subjects of
English, science, mathematics, social studies, foreign language, and the arts.
Unless the Principal determines that extenuating circumstances exist, requests for
date(s) falling within State or District testing periods shall not be granted.
The Principal's determination may be appealed to the Superintendent/designee whose
decision may then be appealed to the Board under its grievance policy and procedures.
Students receiving an excused absence under this section shall have the opportunity to
make up school work missed and shall not have their class grades adversely affected
for lack of class attendance or class participation due to the excused absence.
D. INVALID ABSENCES
Examples of absences from class which are not valid and will count toward truancy procedures:
1. Indifference 7. Overslept
2. Out of town 8. Poverty
3. Juvenile detention 9. At home suspension
4. Working at home/business 10. Illness (more than five (5) parent/
5. Babysitting guardian notes)
6. Transportation 11. Absence unknown by school or
(missed bus or car trouble) parent/guardian
Since every school day is important, "skip days" are not recognized or condoned by the school
administration and are considered unexcused.
Absences and Excuses
EXCUSES
A student shall have no more than five (5) instructional school days to turn in excuses to the
attendance clerk upon returning to school after being absent. (Some schools may allow less time
depending on school policy.)
NOTE: At the discretion of the Principal, a parent or guardian may be notified for an attendance
hearing when a student has missed a total of seven (7) days of school through any combination
of excused and unexcused absences.
E. ATTENDANCE PROCEDURES
1. Attendance
The progress of a student at school depends on the punctuality and regularity of
attendance. Students are expected to be at school every day and in their assigned
classrooms on time. We believe that attendance is a student-parent/guardian
responsibility.
2. Absences
a. Parents or guardians should call the school before 10 a.m. daily to report student's
absences, or when the student returns to school he/she must bring a statement signed
and dated by the parent/guardian to the office before s/he is readmitted to school.
b. Pupils are not absent when participating in school activities which have been
authorized by the Pike County Board of Education and which is a definite part of
the instructional program of the school.
c. Pupils are not absent when participating in activities which are provided in KRS
158.240 and KRS 159.035. Pupils may not be excused when they are absent as
spectators at school activities.
Participation in 4-H activities is to be considered attendance as per KRS 159.035.
d. Absences because of death in the immediate family will require a written statement
and a phone call to the Principal/designee.
e. Students shall understand the absences should be used for personal illness or injury,
professional appointments (doctors, dentists, etc.)
f. Students must remain at school at all times or check out through the
Principal/designee's office. Students leaving campus during the school day without
permission will be subject to suspension or other appropriate measures as
determined by the Principal.
F. ATTENDANCE DUE PROCESS
STEP ONE (1): After a student has acquired his/her third (3rd) invalid absence and/or tardy,
the Principal/designee/advisor will arrange a conference with the student.
The parent/guardian will be contacted in writing concerning the student's
absences.
STEP TWO (2): Upon the fourth (4th) invalid absence and/or tardy, the Principal/designee
will notify the parent/guardian and set up a conference with the
parent/guardian and the student. An attendance contract will be developed
for the student and parent.
Absences and Excuses
F. ATTENDANCE DUE PROCESS (CONTINUED)
NOTE: If absences continue after Step Two (2), a parent/guardian may be
referred to district court.
STEP THREE (3): Upon the fifth (5th) invalid absence and/or tardy, the Principal/designee will
notify the assistant pupil personnel worker. A home visitation and a written
24 hour notice* shall be given to the parent/guardian.
*NOTE: When the parent/guardian is not present, a 24-hour written notice
may be left with a neighbor or relative.
STEP FOUR (4): Any pupil is deemed a habitual truant who has been reported as a truant two
or more times per school year. Upon the sixth (6th) invalid absence, district
attendance personnel and school officials will do a truancy assessment. A
petition for habitual truant will be filed with the CDW (court designated
worker) and Pike District Court.
Charges against a student between the ages of eighteen (18) to twenty-one
(21) shall be referred to the County Attorney for processing as an adult
offender.
G. DETENTION (Elementary, Middle School and High School)
As an alternative disciplinary method, the Principal/designee may establish a detention hall. The
detention hall shall meet as scheduled by the Principal.
Students may be detained for correction, either in scholarship or deportment. Students may also
be detained for tardiness either to school or to a single class period. A student may choose to
serve morning or afternoon detention based on family situations. A call or notification will be
given to the parent/guardian the day before the student is to serve detention. Failure to take
notice home and return note to school (with signature of parent/guardian) will be in violation of
the code of conduct. Appropriate action, as determined by the Principal/designee, will be taken.
H. TARDY TO SCHOOL AND CLASS
Schools shall establish individual tardy procedures. Should a student be tardy, he/she must report
to the Principal/designee for proper admittance to school. The Principal/designee will issue tardy
slips. Being tardy may result in assignment to detention, ESS (Extended School Services), ISS
(In School Suspension) or any other appropriate action determined by the Principal/designee.
Any student who has an unexcused absence or tardy from school shall not participate in extra
curricular activities on the day of the absence or tardy. Any student whose absence or tardy from
school is excused, may participate in extra curricular activities on the day of the absence or tardy
only with the approval of the Principal/designee.
I. MAKE-UP WORK
Students having excused or prearranged absences (acceptably documented) shall be allowed to
make up work. It is the responsibility of the student and parent/guardian to contact the teacher
concerning make-up work. For every day the student has an excused absence, s/he will receive
the same amount of time to complete make-up work.
All students are required to take semester examinations.
Absences and Excuses
I. MAKE-UP WORK (CONTINUED)
Certificates of perfect attendance (0 absences) and certificates of regular attendance (5 or fewer
absences) will be issued at the end of each school year. All eighth (8th) grade students having
perfect attendance from first (1st) grade-eighth (8th) grade shall receive special recognition during
honors days at their respective schools. All twelfth (12th) grade students having perfect
attendance from ninth (9th)-twelfth (12th) grades will receive special recognition by the Pike
County Board of Education.
REFERENCES:
1702 KAR 007:125
KRS 36.396, KRS 38.470, KRS 40.366
KRS 158.070, KRS 158.183, KRS 158.293, KRS 158.294
KRS 159.035, KRS 159.140, KRS 159.150, KRS 159.180
OAG 76-566, OAG 79-68, OAG 79-539, OAG 91-79, OAG 96-28
RELATED POLICIES:
09.111, 09.122, 09.4281
09.126 (re requirements/exceptions for students from military families)
Adopted/Amended: 07/21/2009
Order #: 09-07-VI-01