email:  vhsattendance@nhvweb.net

phone: 908-638-2199 ext 7356 

 

The North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School District Board of Education believes that the regular attendance of students in each class and in school in general is critical to its educational mission. The district shall endeavor to achieve the ninety percent (90%) attendance rate required by the New Jersey Quality Single Accountability Continuum (NJQSAC). Continuity of instruction is an essential element in student performance and allows students the greatest opportunity to succeed at meeting the state learning standards in the New Jersey Student Learning Standards. The superintendent shall oversee the development of effective strategies that maximize student attendance at all scheduled periods of actual instruction or supervised study activities and strive to:

1. Encourage good attendance
2. Discourage unexcused absences
3. Identify patterns of absence, tardiness, and early departures from school; and
4. Intervene to prevent and correct problems with attendance.

Attendance

A day in session for purposes of attendance shall be a day on which the school is scheduled to provide instruction, and students are under the guidance and direction of a teacher or teachers engaged in the teaching process. Days on which school is closed for such reasons as holidays, teachers’ institutes and inclement weather shall not be considered as days in session. 

A school day shall consist of not less than four hours of actual instruction, excluding lunch.

For all State attendance submissions, students shall be recorded as present, absent, or excused for a State-excused absence on every day the school is in session.

A student shall be recorded in the school register as present if the student participates in instruction or instruction-related activities for at least half a day in session, whether the student is physically on school grounds, at an approved off-grounds location, or in a virtual or remote instruction setting pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:32-13.

A student shall be recorded as absent in the school register when not in attendance at a session, except for the following State-excused reasons: 

1. Religious observance as defined by law (N.J.A.C. 6A:32-8.3(h));
2. A college visit (up to 3 days per school year, only for students in grades 11 and 12);
3. “Take Our Children to Work Day” (pursuant to the memo issued by the Commissioner to all districts on April 25, 2017) or other rule issued by the Commissioner;
4. Participation in observance of Veterans Day (N.J.S.A. 18A:36-13.2) or district board of election membership activities (N.J.S.A. 18A: 36-33); or
5. The closure of a busing district that prevents a student from having transportation to the receiving school; or
6. Attendance at a civic event (P.L. 2023 c. 274) one-time per school year, provided that the student is enrolled in grades 6 through 12 and written notice with supporting documentation is submitted to building principal or designee by a parent/guardian at least five (5) school days prior to the anticipated date of absence.

An absence for any reason other than those listed above shall not be counted as a day of attendance in the school register.

A student not present in school because of his or her participation in an approved school activity, such as a field trip, meeting, cooperative education assignment, or athletic competition will be considered to be in attendance.

For absences that do not meet the criteria above as a State excused absence, districts may adopt policies that establish locally approved or excused absences consistent with N.J.A.C. 6A:16-7.6 for the purposes of expectations and consequences regarding truancy, student conduct, promotion, retention, and the award of course credit. However, an absence designated as excused by the district pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:16-7.6 shall be considered an absence in the submission to the State for the purpose of chronic absenteeism reporting, as set forth at N.J.A.C. 6A:32-8.6.

Locally-Established Excused and Unexcused Absence 

An absence shall be considered an “excused absence” for the purpose of determining promotion, retention, truancy, grades, course credit, eligibility to make up missed assignments and tests for full credit, and violations of the school code of conduct for attendance, for the following reasons (school district must select options):

1. Where appropriate, when consistent with Individualized Education Programs, the Individuals with Disabilities Act, accommodation plans under 29 U.S.C. §§ 794 and 705(20), and individualized health care plans;
2. The student’s suspension from school;
3. College visit(s), up to three (3) days per school year for students in grades eleven and twelve;
4. Family critical illness or death supported by a written letter from the parent upon return;
5. Take Our Children to Work Day;
6. Examination for a driver’s license
7. Participation in Veteran’s Day
8. An absence considered excused by the Commissioner of Education and/or a New Jersey Department of Education rule;

A. An absence for a reason not listed above will be considered unexcused unless otherwise deemed by the principal upon a written request by the student’s parent stating the reason for the absence and requesting permission for the absence to not count toward loss of credit or truancy.

Attendance needs not always be within the school facilities. A student will be considered to be in attendance if he/she is present at any place where school is in session by authority of the board. The board shall consider each student assigned to a program of independent study or vocational Co-Op experience, with parent/guardian permission, to be in regular attendance for that program, provided that he/she is under the guidance of a staff member so assigned, reports daily or weekly, as prescribed, to such staff member the place in which he/she is conducting his/her study, and regularly demonstrates progress toward the objectives of his/her course of study.

Other Absences

Parents are responsible for notifying the school early in the day when a student will be absent and for informing the school of the reason for the absence.  Such notification is necessary to ensure the safety of students; it does not replace or limit the responsibility of parents to maintain records and documentation of absences in the event that such becomes necessary for an administrative or committee review to determine loss of credit or truancy.  

A. An “unexcused absence” is a student’s absence for all or part of a school day for any reason other than those listed as “state excused” absences above. An unexcused absence may be counted toward retention, truancy, loss of course credit, ineligibility to make up missed assignments and tests for full credit, and violations of the school code of conduct for attendance. Absence is expressly not excused for any of the following reasons (this list is intended to be illustrative and is not inclusive): 

1. Student illness;
2. Family travel;
3. Performance of household or babysitting duties;  
4. Other daytime activities unrelated to the school program; 
5. Leaving school without permission when school is still in session;
6. Leaving class because of illness and not reporting to the school nurse as directed; or
7. Being present in school but absent from class without approval. Such absence from class is a “class cut.”

Tardiness

The orderly conduct of class activity depends upon the prompt and precise beginning of the program. Tardiness hinders the proper conduct of school activities. Students are expected to arrive to school and class on time. A student who is tardy to any class will be subject to disciplinary action as outlined in Board Policy 5113 Conduct and Discipline and the Student Code of Conduct. Consequences for accumulated occurrences of tardiness may include detention, loss of credit, and an unexcused school day absence.

Attendance and Instruction

For the board of education to fulfill its responsibility for providing a thorough and efficient education for each student, the complete cooperation of parents/guardians and students is required to maintain a high level of school attendance.

A student is deemed chronically absent when they are recorded as not being present for 10 percent or more of the days the student is deemed “in membership.”  Days in membership are the number of school days in session in which a student is enrolled.  A student’s membership begins on the first possible day of attendance following enrollment during the school year, notwithstanding the actual day the student was recorded as present for the first time. For purposes of calculating the absentee rate of chronic absenteeism, State-excused absences are not included in a student’s days in membership.    

The frequent absence of students from classroom learning experiences disrupts the continuity of the instructional process and limits the ability of students to complete the prescribed curriculum requirements successfully. The following rules shall apply for student absences:

1. A student shall be considered absent from class for tardiness in excess of one-half of the total  class period.
2. A student shall be considered absent from school for participation in less than 4 instructional hours during the school day.

A student must be in attendance for 150 or more school days in order to be considered to have successfully completed the instructional program requirements of the grade/course to which he/she is assigned.

A waiver of these attendance requirements may be granted for good cause by the school principal upon recommendation of a review committee, appointed by him/her, and consisting of representative staff, including student service personnel and classroom teachers.

In recommending the granting of a waiver of this attendance requirement, the review committee shall consider the nature and causes of all absences rather than only those in excess of 30 days. Documentation of the nature and causes of these absences shall be the responsibility of the student and the parent/guardian. The absence of documented parent/guardian notes, doctor’s notes, and other records that verify that an absence was excused according to board policy shall be considered unexcused. Unexcused absences shall count toward truancy and may be subject to loss of grade or course credit toward promotion or graduation and disciplinary actions according to the code of student conduct. Notes from parents/guardians shall be considered, but the district may require additional documentation, such as doctor’s notes or other official records, to verify the note.

Parents/guardians are responsible for notifying the school early in the day when a child will be absent and for informing the school in writing of the reason for the absence.