Students > Student Handbook > School Procedures > Attendance Policy

The Board of School Directors of the Souderton Area School District, consistent with Pennsylvania law and regulations, will not condone nor permit absences from school for an unlawful reason. The educational program offered by this district is predicated upon the presence of the student and requires continuity of instruction and classroom participation. Regular contact of students with one another in the classroom and participation in the planned instructional program under the tutelage of the teacher are vital to this purpose.

Therefore, it is the responsibility of every student enrolled in the public schools of the Souderton Area School District to be in daily attendance except for the following reasons:

1. Personal illness.
2. Quarantine of the individual or home.
3. Death in the immediate family (five days maximum).
4. Exceptionally urgent or safety reasons--must pertain to the individual student as determined by the principal or designee.
5. All absences occasioned by observance of the student's religion on a day approved by the Board as a religious holiday shall be excused, and no student so excused shall be deprived of an award or eligibility to compete for an award or the opportunity to make up academic work and assessments given on the religious holiday.
6. The Board shall, upon written request of the parents or guardians, release from attendance a student participating in a religious instruction program acknowledged by the Board. Such instruction shall not require the child's absence from school for more than thirty-six hours per school year, and its organizers must inform the Board of the child's attendance record. The Board shall not provide transportation to religious instruction.
7. Suspension from school.
8. Required court appearance.
9. The Board shall permit a student to be excused for participation in a project sponsored by a statewide or countywide 4-H, FFA or combined 4-H and FFA group upon written request prior to the event.
10. Those students in an approved program of homebound instruction.

Dental and Medical Appointments
Attempts should be made to schedule medical and dental appointments at times other than during the school day. Students who wish to leave school for dental or medical appointments shall be required to bring a note from the parent/guardian prior to the appointment time. The district reserves the right for an administrator to require parents to obtain verification of dental and medical appointments from the medical provider. Students should not expect to be excused a full day for such appointments unless necessary because of travel time, other medical/dental appointments scheduled for the same day, or reasons that are medically excusable. A student who has an excused medical or dental appointment during school hours is to attend school until the time of dismissal and to return to school after the appointment, unless medical reasons prevent the student from returning to school. Attendance need not always be within school facilities. A student will be considered in attendance if present at any place where school is in session by authority of the Board; the student is receiving approved tutorial instruction or health care; the student is engaged in an approved and properly supervised independent study, workstudy or career education program.

Non-Immunized Children
No child may be admitted or permitted to attend the public schools unless the child has received immunizations as required by the Department of Health at 28 PA Code Chapter 23, Subchapter C (relating to exemption for immunization) or has received from the school district's Superintendent a medical or religious exemption from immunization under 28 PA Code Section 23.84 (relating to exemption for immunization). A child who has not received all doses of the required immunizations or has not been exempted for immunization, but who has received at least one (1) dose of each of the required immunizations, may be provisionally admitted and may attend public school for a period of up to eight (8) months. Provisional admission or continued attendance shall be conditioned upon parents' or guardians' submission to the Superintendent of a plan for the pupil's completion of the required immunization doses. The plan shall be reviewed by the school district at least every sixty (60) calendar days. If after eight (8) months the child has not received all immunizations, the child thereafter may not be further admitted to or be permitted to attend the public schools until all doses have been received. Absences resulting from a parent's or guardian's failure to obtain proper immunization for their child will be deemed unlawful and subject to corresponding punitive measures.

School-Sponsored Activities
In order to participate in a school-sponsored activity, the student must be in attendance at school on the day of the activity or, if applicable, the day before a holiday (if the activity falls either on the holiday) or the day following. A student must attend at least three of the four instructional blocks of the school day to be eligible to participate in an activity that day.

Lateness to School (Tardiness)
A student's late arrival to school will be excused for the following reasons only:

1. Personal illness.
2. Death in immediate family.
3. Exceptionally urgent or safety reasons--must pertain to the individual student as determined by the principal or designee.
4. Religious holiday/event.
5. Required court attendance.
6. In the case of an exceptional student, where tardiness is caused by or directly related to student's exceptionality.
7. In the case of a doctor or dental appointment that is accompanied by a note from the doctor's or dentist's office verifying the visit.

Consistent lateness to school because of personal illness may necessitate providing a medical excuse. Students who arrive late to school must report immediately to the designated office in order to be admitted to class. Following the third unexcused tardy, disciplinary action may be taken at the discretion of the building principal or designee. Student tardiness and early dismissals may accumulate towards unlawful/unexcused days of absence.

A student who arrives to school late at the beginning of his/her school day must report to the Main Office for a late pass. If unexcused the student must then report to the Student Services Office to meet with an assistant principal.

If during the school year a student is late to school up to 9:14 AM, the:

1. 3rd infraction will incur an after school office detention.
2. 4th infraction will incur 2 hours of detention.
3. 5th infraction will incur a 2-hour Saturday detention.
4. 6th infraction and every incident thereafter will result in Saturday detention and the possibility of a parent conference and/or out-of-school suspension.

Infractions for lateness will be cumulative; the total, however, will be "re-set" at the beginning of the second semester. Students arriving between 9:08 AM and 10:41 AM will be marked absent for one half day. Students arriving after 10:41 AM will be marked absent for a whole day.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Attendance Policy continued...
Those children who are less than eight (8) years of age or older than seventeen (17) years of age are not subject to compulsory school attendance requirements.

If a student's number of absences reaches 10% of the days school has been in session, the parents/guardians will be notified that the absences are becoming excessive. Further absences may result in notification that the student will be required to furnish a doctor's note for any days absent from that point on. Absence not covered by a doctor's note will be charged as unexcused or unlawful (if under 17) and will be used in filing a citation with the magistrate. An administrative meeting can be requested to appeal this decision within ten (10) school days of the receipt of this letter.

A doctor's excuse may also be required for each single period of absence exceeding three (3) consecutive days.

In cases of excessive tardiness or early dismissals, a letter may be sent to the parent(s)/ guardian(s) indicating that the student will be required to furnish a doctor's note for any days absent, tardy, and/or dismissed early from that point. Tardies and early dismissals may accumulate towards unlawful/unexcused days of absence. Absence not covered by a doctor's note will be charged as unexcused or unlawful (if under 17).

In some cases, chronic illness may result in excessive absence from school. As these situations arise, in order to ensure consistency of care, the school nurse may request permission to communicate with a student's physician.