Consistent class attendance is a critical component for students’ academic success and completion of graduation requirements. As a result, Heritage’s attendance policy and procedures have been carefully designed to encourage regular student attendance through the implementation of three distinct components. Through a combination of interventions, consequences, and incentives, we aim to improve our overall attendance rate as well as impact student achievement.

Interventions will include contact with the teacher, counselor, and Dean of Students. Consequences for unexcused absences and/or tardies may include detentions, work detail, and grade reductions. The incentive component deals with students earning the privilege of locking in their semester grade prior to taking the semester final. More details regarding these three components will follow.

Reporting Absences

It is required that parents notify the attendance office on or before the day of the absence. An absence will remain unexcused if the attendance office has not been contacted by noon of the day after the absence. The numbers to call are: (303) 347-7630 from 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. After hours, parents may leave a message on the recorder at (303) 734-6700. We do not accept notes to excuse absences, and we will only accept phone calls from parent/guardian(s) designated on the emergency card.

Unexcused Absences
 
Unexcused absences are defined as:
Absences from a single class or multiple classes for reasons the school does not honor.
Reporting the absence did not occur within the prescribed timeframe.
The parent or school did not grant permission for the absence.

Excused Absences

Absences will be excused for illness, medical or legal appointments, family emergencies, and religious observances. Except for “in-school” field trips or conferences, students cannot be excused if they are at school but not attending their classes. (According to State Law the school determines whether the absence is excused or unexcused.)

A parent or guardian must call the Attendance Office to request an absence be excused within the prescribed time limit - by noon the day following the absence - otherwise it will be considered unexcused.

Excessive Excused Absences

If a student has 5 or more absences due to illness during a semester he/she must provide medical office verification to excuse further absences. Multiple absences for the same reason will be subject to verification at the request of the Attendance Office.

Pre-Arranged Absences

Absences for family vacations, hospitalizations, and college visitations that are a minimum of three days duration, and are planned ahead of time, must be documented on a Pre-Arranged Absence form. Blank forms are available in the Attendance Office. Completed forms needs to be returned to the Attendance Office at least one week prior to the scheduled absence.

If two or more teachers indicate that the absence is “inadvisable” it will be considered unexcused unless approved by the administration. The Attendance Office will inform the assistant principal in charge of discipline if this is the case. He will then contact the student and parent.

School-initiated Absences

There are occasions when students must be absent for official school business. These absences, for student government workshops, early departure of athletic teams, activity programs, and the like, will be recorded as excused once the student’s attendance is validated.

Unauthorized Phone Calls

Parents or legal guardians are the only adults who can call to request an absence be excused. Students who call to excuse their absences will be subject to disciplinary action, typically assigned to an in-school suspension.

Makeup Work

For excused absences, a student is permitted two days for each day of absence to complete make-up work and obtain full credit. If extenuating circumstances exist, the student and teacher need to work together to schedule work completion times. For unexcused absences, make-up work will be permitted but the student will not receive full credit. For absences as a result of suspension from school, make-up work will be permitted per LPS Board Policy JKD/JKE, Regulation 1.

Tardies

Students have five minutes to move from one class to another, which is ample time to change classes. Therefore, students are expected to arrive on time to all classes.

A tardy is defined as entering class AFTER the tardy bell.

Excused Tardies

There are legitimate reasons for a student to be tardy to class such as court, a medical appointment, or illness. To excuse a tardy, a student MUST check in at the Attendance Office upon arrival at school to get an “Excused Tardy” slip to enter class. A parent must call the Attendance Office to excuse the tardy within the prescribed time limit - by noon the day following the tardy - otherwise the tardy will be considered unexcused. Excused tardies do not count toward assignment to detention hall.

Unexcused Tardies

Students without an “Excused Tardy” slip who enter class after the tardy bell rings, will be considered unexcused. Multiple tardies in the same class will result in the assignment of a detention hall.

4 unexcused tardies = 1 detention hall
8 unexcused tardies = 2 detention halls
12 unexcused tardies = referral to Dean and imposition of additional consequences including suspension. No student will be eligible to lock-in a grade if he/she accumulates 12 unexcused tardies in a class.