Attendance Practices, Reporting Absences and Early Releases Procedures

KAISER H.S. ATTENDANCE PRACTICES

Hā: Strengthened Sense of Responsibility

“I willingly carry my responsibility for self, family, community and the larger society.” 

I will come to school regularly, on-time and ready to learn. 

I will honor and make family, school and communities proud.

Attendance:

All teachers will mark attendance for each class period. Students who miss more than half of the class period will be considered absent for that period. Parents/households of students who are absent will receive a computer-generated message at 10:00 am. For all absences/tardies, it is the student’s responsibility to coordinate and plan make up opportunities for missed classes, assignments, and assessments with their teachers. Students are considered chronically absent when they accumulate 15 absences throughout the year. 

 

Absences/tardies due to the following reasons are EXCUSED: 

• Illness
• Other Verifiable Medical Reasons
• Family Bereavement 

 

Reporting an Excused Absence:

1. Upon return to school, student submits a note to the front office including: Student’s Name, Grade, Dates of Absence, Reason for Absence, Parent/Guardian Name & Contact, Phone Number, and Parent/Guardian Signature. 
2. The note must be received by the front office within 3 business days upon returning to school. 
3. With a note, absence(s) will be marked excused. 
4. More than 3 Days: Make-up work can be requested through the counselor. Teachers will need a minimum of 24-hour notice to prepare assignments. Parents can call on Day 3 to request make-up work for Day 4. 

 

Unexcused Absences

• Unexcused absences 1 to 5 will be handled by the class period teacher via teacher intervention. 
• Unexcused absence 6, teacher will contact grade level counselor. 
• Unexcused absence 7, counselor submits referral to Vice Principals for progressive discipline and consequences. 

• For students with 18 or more Unexcused Absences, a family court truancy petition may be filed. 

 

Tardies 

Students who miss more than half of the class period will be considered absent for that period. 

• Tardies 1 to 5 will be handled by the class period teacher via teacher intervention. 
• Tardy 6 teacher will contact grade level counselor. 
• Tardy 7 and above: Referral to Vice Principals for progressive discipline and consequences. 
• Student tardies to re-start from zero each quarter for leveled interventions. 

Examples of EXCUSED absences/tardies:

• medical/dental appointment with a doctorʻs note
• family emergencies due to hospitalization or death in the family 
• illness 
• absences approved by a school administrator

 

Examples of UNEXCUSED absences/tardies include (but not limited to):

• transportation
• personal reasons
• baby-sitting
• entertaining out-of-town guests

 

FAQ KHS Attendance Practices

School Related Events/Activities 

DOE and school approved events/activities, such as field trips, performances, athletics, will be designated as Authorized School Activity (ASA) for attendance. ‘ASA’ are not considered absences. 

 

Extended Absences 

For situations when students need to miss more than 2 school days, prior notification and administrative approval can be documented with the Extended Absence Form. Forms are available in the front office and should be turned in completed to the front office 2 weeks prior to absence. Upon approval, student’s attendance will be marked excused absent.

 

Suspension 

For suspensions between 1 and 10 days, teachers will provide make-up work and set deadlines for completion. Serious discipline, suspensions beyond 10 days, will have an alternative education plan put in place.

 

Truancy 

Truancy means that the student is absent from school or class without authorization of the principal or designee. The school administrator will proceed with consequences as outlined by DOE regulations, in concert with working agreements with HPD and/or the Family Court. 

 

Early Release 

For appointments that cannot be arranged outside of school hours, a note must be submitted to the front office before the start of the school day. Note must include: 

• Student’s Name, Grade 
• Date & Time of Release 
• Reason for Release 
• Parent/Guardian Name & Contact Phone Number 
• Parent/Guardian Signature 

* If requests are not turned in before school begins and/or cannot be verified with a parent/guardian, the request may be denied, unless the student is picked up by the parent/guardian at the school office. 

 

School Absence Follow-Up 

Parents/Guardians will be alerted via telephone call through the school’s attendance reporting system. 

• The system will make contact with the primary phone # given to the school. (Please update your primary phone and email contacts. Parents can choose an alternate number, i.e. personal cell phone. Contact the Registrar’s Office for updates.) 
• Each instance of an absence or tardy will be communicated through the system. Please be aware that phone calls going home can be intercepted, forwarded or automatically rejected.

Regular Attendance - Students are expected to regularly attend all classes. [Note: Section 298-8, Public schools; attendance, Hawaii Revised Statues (HRS), requires a child who is six years of age and not yet eighteen on or before December 31 of any school year to attend either a public or private school unless properly excused from school. Section 298-13 Enforcement, HRS, places the responsibility for enforcing compulsory attendance with the Department of Education (DOE). Exception from the compulsory attendance law is permitted only under specified conditions pursuant to Section 298- 9, Attendance compulsory; exceptions, HRS, and DOE regulations relating to compulsory attendance exceptions.] 

 

The review and distribution of this policy

This policy was last reviewed and revised in May 2020. It is published continuously and is available on the schools’ websites.