2010-2011 LaSalle Parish

School Attendance Regulations and Procedure

Truancy/Discipline Court Criteria and Procedure
 

“EVERY MINUTE COUNTS”

Students are expected to be in attendance every minute of every day.

Louisiana State Law mandates compulsory school attendance and every parent or legal guardian of a student shall enforce and be held accountable for the attendance of their student for every day scheduled by the local school board until their eighteenth (18^th) birthday.  Parents will be asked to sign a notification letter on the 3^rd unexcused absence or tardy and attend a conference with school personnel if deemed necessary.  A student’s attendance and disciplinary history prints on his/her 3 -week Progress Reports and 6-weeks Report Cards. Also, parents can view their child’s current grades, attendance, discipline, and teacher lesson plans on any on-line computer through the Parent Communication Center located at the LaSalle School District website at www.lasallepsb.com.

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

• 1^st Semester dates are:  August 13, 2010, through December 17, 2010;
• 2^nd Semester dates are:  January 3, 2011, through May 16, 2011;
• High school students (9-12) attendance shall be kept on a per-period basis;
• For high schools counting attendance by periods, a student shall be present for more than 50% of a period to be counted as being in attendance for that class period.

The only exception to the attendance regulations that will be considered shall be extenuating circumstances that are verified by the Supervisor of Child Welfare and Attendance as described below:

1. Extended personal physical or emotional illness as verified by a physician or dentist
2. Extended hospital stay as verified by a physician or dentist
3. Extended recuperation from an accident as verified by a physician or dentist
4. Extended contagious disease within a family as verified by a physician or dentist
5. Prior school system approved travel for education
6. Death in the immediate family (not to exceed one week)
7. Natural catastrophe and/or disaster
8. Mandated Court Appearances as verified by a Court Official
9. Military deployment/leave

For any other extenuating circumstances, parents must make a formal appeal to the Supervisor of Child Welfare and Attendance through the School Principal for determination of Extenuated Circumstances on a case-by-case basis.

All excuses, including original doctor/dentist verification, for a student’s absence must be presented to the school within five (5) days of the student’s return to school to be considered for extenuating circumstances.

Denial of Credit Procedure:  In order for LaSalle Parish elementary students to be considered for promotion or for high school students to receive Carnegie credit for each course taken, students shall be in attendance 94% of the required time.  Based on our instructional calendar of 168 days, 390 instructional minutes, students may not exceed 14 instructional days per year or 7 instructional days per semester of absences. When a student has exceeded the allowable days of absence as defined by the 94% mandate, a committee appointed by the Principal will review the student’s absences.  The student and/or parent receive written notification of the decision to deny credit or deny promotion and are informed of the appeal process.   Appeals are made to the Supervisor of Child Welfare and Attendance within 72 hours of receiving notification.  Following the appeal hearing, all parties are notified of the final disposition.

TRUANCY/DISCIPLINE COURT REFERRAL CRITERIA & PROCEDURE

            In compliance with state law pertaining to ACT 745 regarding amendments and reenactment of LA R.S. 17:233 (B)(1),  LA R.S. 17:233(C) and LA R.S. 17:416, relative to habitual absences, tardiness, and disciplinary actions, Truancy/Discipline Court for the 2010-2011 school year will occur on a regularly basis.  

            You are hereby notified that if your student meets the following criteria listed below, he/she may be referred to Truancy/Discipline Court which is an informal Court process and intervention strategy of the LaSalle Parish 28^th Judicial District Families in Need of Services Program (FINS) in collaboration with LaSalle Parish School’s Child Welfare & Attendance Program: 

• LaSalle Parish Schools students who exceed 5 days unexcused absence or unexcused tardiness within any school semester or as deemed eligible for referral by SCWA and who do not provide a valid excuse according to the criteria for extenuated circumstances as listed above may be referred to Truancy/Discipline Court.
• Any student who accumulates three in-school or out-of school suspensions and/or is found guilty of any disciplinary infraction that would warrant immediate action by the Principal of the school will be referred to Truancy/Discipline Court.

In cases of continued disciplinary problems, absences or tardiness, when interventions fail to correct the problem, violations are subsequent to referral to formal Court where additional penalties may be imposed upon the parent/legal guardian as defined by State Law including but not limited to additional fines, community service, and/or imprisonment.