{"id":13,"date":"2011-07-27T20:02:44","date_gmt":"2011-07-28T00:02:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nhvweb.net\/nhhs\/practicalarts\/gcottrell\/?page_id=13"},"modified":"2026-07-20T11:01:27","modified_gmt":"2026-07-20T15:01:27","slug":"absences","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.nhvweb.net\/nhhs\/attendance\/absences\/","title":{"rendered":"Absences"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Students are allowed to have 16 unexcused absences in a full year course and 8 unexcused in a half year course. Absences fall into two categories: <strong>Excused<\/strong> and <strong>Unexcused<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>The North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School District believes that regular attendance is vital for student success. We\u2019re committed to meeting New Jersey\u2019s state standard of a 90% attendance rate, and to help us achieve this, our attendance policy and regulations have been revised for the upcoming year. Please refer to the\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.nhvweb.net\/nhhs\/athletics\/parentstudenthandbook\/files\/2025\/07\/Policy-5113-Attendance-Absences-and-Excuses.pdf\"><b>5113 Attendance Policy-Regulation<\/b><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s a breakdown of the attendance for Parents\/Students:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>What Counts as \u201cPresent\u201d?<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none\">\n<ul>\n<li>Student(s) may be denied course credit if they have been absent from more than\u00a0<b>eight (8) classes in a semester course<\/b>\u00a0or\u00a0<b>sixteen (16) classes in a year course<\/b>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none\">\n<ul>\n<li>A student is considered present if they participate in instruction for at least\u00a0<b>half a day in session<\/b>. This includes being physically on school grounds, at an approved off-grounds location, or in a virtual\/remote instruction setting.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none\">\n<ul>\n<li>A school day must consist of at least\u00a0<b>four hours of actual instruction<\/b>, excluding lunch.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none\">\n<ul>\n<li>Students participating in approved school activities, such as field trips, meetings, cooperative education assignments, or athletic competitions, are considered in attendance. Students in independent study or vocational Co-Op are also considered in regular attendance if guidelines are followed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Excused Absences:<\/b>\u00a0A parent note must be given to the\u00a0<a href=\"mailto:northattendance@nhvweb.net\"><b>Attendance Office<\/b><\/a><b>\u00a0\/\u00a0<\/b><a href=\"mailto:northattendance@nhvweb.net\"><b>northattendance@nhvweb.net<\/b><\/a>\n<ul>\n<li><b>State-Excused Absences<\/b>\u00a0(Do not count against attendance for State chronic absenteeism reporting purposes):<\/li>\n<li><b>Religious observance<\/b>.<\/li>\n<li><b>College visits<\/b>\u00a0(up to 3 days per school year for juniors and seniors).<\/li>\n<li>\u201c<b>Take Our Children to Work Day<\/b>\u201c.<\/li>\n<li>Participation in\u00a0<b>Veterans Day observance<\/b>.<\/li>\n<li>Participation in\u00a0<b>district board of election membership activities<\/b>.<\/li>\n<li><b>Closure of a busing district<\/b>\u00a0preventing transportation to the receiving school.<\/li>\n<li>Attendance at a\u00a0<b>civic event<\/b>\u00a0(one time per school year for grades 6-12, with 5 days prior written notice and documentation).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Locally-Excused Absences<\/b>\u00a0(May be considered excused for truancy, conduct, promotion, retention, and credit, but\u00a0<b>still count as absences for State chronic absenteeism reporting<\/b>):\n<ul>\n<li>Consistent with\u00a0<b>Individualized Education Programs (IEPs)<\/b>, Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), accommodation plans, and individualized health care plans.<\/li>\n<li>Student\u2019s\u00a0<b>suspension<\/b>\u00a0from school.<\/li>\n<li><b>Family\u00a0<\/b><b>critical\u00a0<\/b><b>illness or death<\/b>\u00a0(with written parent letter upon return). This is just for critical types of situations, not for common infectious sickness such as cold, flu, etc. Please refer to Unexcused absences below.<\/li>\n<li><b>Examination for a driver\u2019s license<\/b>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Unexcused Absences:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li>An absence is unexcused if it\u2019s for any reason other than those listed as \u201cstate excused\u201d or<br \/>\nspecifically \u201clocally-excused\u201d.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Parent Responsibilities:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Notify the School Promptly:<\/strong> Please call the Attendance Office at 908-713-4120 or<br \/>\nemail northattendance@nhvweb.net as early as possible on the day your child will be<br \/>\nabsent to report the reason for the absence. If the absence is planned or foreseeable,<br \/>\nplease notify the school in advance.<br \/>\n\u25aa <strong>Provide Documentation:<\/strong> It is essential to provide official documentation for all<br \/>\nabsences, both excused and unexcused. For excused absences, such as a driver\u2019s test,<br \/>\nit will allow your child to be excused for the absence. For unexcused absences, such as<br \/>\na medical appointment, although the absence will remain unexcused, having the\u00a0reason for the absences recorded can be crucial if there are questions about truancy or<br \/>\nloss of credit.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Chronic Absenteeism:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li>A student is considered\u00a0<b>chronically absent<\/b>\u00a0if they are not present for\u00a0<b>10% or more of their days in membership<\/b>, excluding State-excused absences. Schools with a high rate of chronically absent students must develop a corrective action plan.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Consequences and Interventions for Unexcused Absences\/Truancy:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Up to four (4) unexcused absences<\/b>: The school will attempt to notify parents, determine the cause, and identify actions to address the pattern of absences.<\/li>\n<li><b>Five to nine (5-9) unexcused absences<\/b>\u00a0(specifically seven (7) or more in regulation): The school will continue to notify parents, evaluate prior actions, and\u00a0<b>develop an Amnesty-Action plan<\/b>. This plan may involve referrals to intervention teams, assessments, alternative placements, community resources, or even\u00a0<b>court referral<\/b>\u00a0for violations of compulsory education law or evidence of a juvenile-family crisis.<\/li>\n<li><b>Ten (10) or more cumulative unexcused absences<\/b>: The student (ages 6-16) is considered\u00a0<b>truant<\/b>. The district will determine the need for a court referral, continue to consult with parents, and cooperate with law enforcement. Parents may face fines (up to $25 for first offense, $100 for subsequent offenses) and court appearances. Attendance officers have police power to enforce these provisions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Impact on Course Credit and Other Privileges:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li>Students must be in attendance for\u00a0<b>150 or more school days<\/b>\u00a0to successfully complete instructional program requirements.<\/li>\n<li>Students may be\u00a0<b>denied partial or total course credit<\/b>\u00a0for excessive unexcused absences. For secondary students, this can occur with more than eight (8) absences in a semester course or sixteen (16) in a year course (excluding State-excused and suspension absences). Waivers of attendance requirements may be granted for good cause by the principal upon review committee recommendation.<\/li>\n<li>Unexcused absences can also lead to\u00a0<b>denial of participation in extracurricular activities or athletic competition<\/b>, detention, or suspension.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Tardiness and Early Dismissal:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li>Students are expected to arrive at school and class on time.\u00a0<b>Tardiness can lead to disciplinary action<\/b>, including detention, loss of credit, or being counted as an unexcused absence. Three unexcused tardies can lead to detention, with escalating consequences for more occurrences.<\/li>\n<li>Early dismissals for reasons like medical appointments or family emergencies require\u00a0<b>prior written request from a parent\/guardian and verification<\/b>\u00a0by the school. Leaving school without permission is considered truancy and will be dealt with severely, potentially leading to suspension.<\/li>\n<li>Students leaving school early must be signed out at the front security window by a<br \/>\nparent\/guardian or another parent-designated adult. Seniors with a school-issued<br \/>\nparking permit who have parental permission to sign themselves out may sign out at<br \/>\nthe back\/courtyard security window before leaving campus. <strong>Students may not leave<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>the building through any door without signing out.<\/strong> Failure to follow the proper sign-<br \/>\nout procedure may result in disciplinary action. Please refer to the <span style=\"color: #0000ff\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nhvweb.net\/nhhs\/attendance\/lateness\/\">Lateness<\/a><\/span> and<br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #0000ff\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nhvweb.net\/nhhs\/attendance\/early-dismissal\/\">Early Dismissal<\/a><\/span> section for additional information regarding procedures and policies.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Students with Disabilities:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li>Attendance guidelines, discipline, and remedial measures apply to students with disabilities in accordance with their\u00a0<b>Individualized Education Programs (IEPs)<\/b>\u00a0and other applicable laws. The IEP team can decide if a different setting or manner of instruction (like home instruction) is needed, and the student would be marked \u201cpresent\u201d in those cases.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Appeals:\u00a0<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li>Parents and students have the right to\u00a0<b>appeal decisions regarding disciplinary actions<\/b>, including loss of credit or grade level retention, through a defined grievance procedure. Please reach out to your child\u2019s counselor and they will notify the proper authorities.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Students are allowed to have 16 unexcused absences in a full year course and 8 unexcused in a half year course. Absences fall into two categories: Excused and Unexcused. The North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School District believes that regular attendance is vital for student success. We\u2019re committed to meeting New Jersey\u2019s state standard of a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":{"0":"post-13","1":"page","2":"type-page","3":"status-publish","5":"entry","6":"override"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nhvweb.net\/nhhs\/attendance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/13","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nhvweb.net\/nhhs\/attendance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nhvweb.net\/nhhs\/attendance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nhvweb.net\/nhhs\/attendance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/22"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nhvweb.net\/nhhs\/attendance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/www.nhvweb.net\/nhhs\/attendance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/13\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":147,"href":"https:\/\/www.nhvweb.net\/nhhs\/attendance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/13\/revisions\/147"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nhvweb.net\/nhhs\/attendance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}