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Attendance Resources

Students who have good attendance generally achieve higher grades, enjoy school more, and are more employable after leaving school. According to the Colorado Compulsory Attendance Law, it is the obligation of every parent/guardian to ensure that every child under his or her care and supervision receives adequate education and training and, if of compulsory attendance age, attends school.  It is the obligation of every parent/guardian to notify school officials of changes in phone numbers, addresses, and contact information as soon as possible. 

Mitchell High School Restorative Attendance Policy

Students under the age of 17

  • At 28 hours (4 days) of unexcused class absences within a 30-day period, the truancy court process will begin with the filing of an Initial Notice with the courts. This notice will be issued to the student and their parents/guardians.
  • The Initial Notice is a compliance date by which the student must attend regularly. If the student complies, they will avoid truancy court. If not, a truancy court date will be requested.

Students 17 years of age and older

  • Truancy Court is not an option, but regular, punctual attendance is still required.
  • Students not attending regularly will meet with an administrator and be placed on a Student Attendance Contract.
  • If attendance issues persist after being placed on a contract, a Pre-Drop Letter will be sent, warning that the student must attend regularly or be dropped from Mitchell High School for the remainder of the school year.

Consequences for Chronic Absences

  • The student will be placed on Attendance Monitoring at 56 hours (8 days) of excused absences. Future absences will require medical or professional documentation to be excused.
  • Absences will be unexcused without required documentation, leading to the above consequences.

Avoiding Unexcused Absences

  • Parents/guardians must excuse absences through the Attendance Office within 48 hours.
  • Provide medical or professional documentation when appropriate.
  • For planned absences of 3 days or longer, request a Pre-Arranged Absence Form from the Attendance Office and get Administrator approval before the absence.

Tardiness

  • Students arriving after the bell will be marked tardy. Students missing more than 50% of the class will be marked absent.
  • Chronic tardiness will result in consequences such as parent contact and in-school suspension. Persistent issues may lead to out-of-school suspension for insubordination/defiance.

Intervention Steps for Attendance/Tardy Issues

  • Students will be placed on a Student Attendance Contract outlining consequences for continued issues.
  • Meetings with Robert Brill, your Counselor, and/or an Administrator to monitor progress.
  • Attendance Monitoring will require documentation for future absences to be excused.
  • Attendance consequences carry over from the first to the second semester.
  • Continued issues may lead to out-of-school suspensions and potentially an expulsion hearing.

 

Process for Excused Absences

 

Notification of Absence

  • Parents/Guardians Responsibility: Parents or guardians must notify the Attendance Office of the student’s absence within 48 hours. This can be done by calling the Attendance Office.
  • Contact Information: The Attendance Office can be reached at 719-328-6613.

Documentation

  • Medical or Professional Documentation: Appropriate documentation must be provided for an absence to be excused. This includes medical notes from a doctor or other professional documentation, such as notes from a therapist or court.
  • Submission: The documentation should be submitted to the Attendance Office or directly to Robert Brill, the Dean of Attendance.

Pre-Arranged Absences

  • Request Form: If a student plans to be absent for 3 days or longer, request a Pre-Arranged Absence Form from the Attendance office.
  • Approval Process: The form needs to be completed and approved by an Administrator before the absence occurs. This will make sure that the absence is documented and excused in advance.

Attendance Monitoring

  • Chronic Absences: Students who accumulate 56 hours (8 days) of excused absences will be placed on Attendance Monitoring.
  • Future Absences: While on Attendance Monitoring, any future absences will require medical or professional documentation to be excused. Without this documentation, the absences will be marked as unexcused.

Avoiding Unexcused Absences

  • Timely Notification: Ensure that all absences are reported to the Attendance Office within the 48-hour window.
  • Proper Documentation: Always provide medical or professional documentation to validate the absence.
  • Pre-Arranged Absences: For planned absences, complete and get approval for the Pre-Arranged Absence Form beforehand.

Key Contacts

  • Robert Brill, Dean of Attendance: If you have any questions or need further assistance, you can contact Robert Brill at 719-328-6617 or via email at robert.brill@d11.org.