Las Montañas

Charter High School

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Please feel free contact us with any questions you may have. (575) 527-5916 info@lasmontanashigh.com 1405 S. Solano Dr., Las Cruces, NM 88001

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1405 S. Solano Dr.
Las Cruces, NM 88001

(575) 527-5916
info@lasmontanashigh.com

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Compulsory Student Attendance Policy

I. PURPOSE
- To establish responsibility for recording and excusing student absences and to outline procedures for monitoring and improving
  attendance and for follow-up with students and parents in accordance with requirements set forth in 22-8-2 (NMSA 1978).
II. DEFINITIONS
- A. “Attendance” means students who are in class or in a school-approved activity. If a student is in attendance up to one half of the total instructional time during a school day, the student will be counted as having attended one-half of a school day. If the student attends school for more than one-half of the total instructional time, the student will be counted as having attended for the full day (6-10-8-7 NMSA 1978)
- B. “Hazardous weather conditions” means weather conditions that would endanger the health or safety of the student when in transit to and from school, as defined and/or approved by the Superintendent of the charter school or his/her designee. C. “Immediate family members” means the child, spouse, father, mother, stepfather, stepmother, siblings, step-siblings, half-siblings, grandparents, mother-in-law, father-in-law, foster parents, guardians, and others who reside in the same household with the student.
- D. “Long-term illness” means acute or chronic health-related problems that require a student to be out of school more than three consecutive days, as verified by a health-care professional’s written note to the student’s school. E. “Recurring illness” means any medical or mental conditions that requires a student to see a health care professional on a recurring basis with standing appointments; and, that such appointments occur at least once per month. F. “Short-term illness” means any medical or mental conditions that keep a student out of school for three or fewer consecutive days, as verified by the parent.
- G. “School sponsored/school sanctioned activities” Means:
  - 1. Events or activities sponsored or held by school clubs, athletics, extracurricular or curricular classes.
  - 2. School coordinated visits to college/university campuses on officially designated visitation days or on alternate visits when the student has applied for admission to that particular college/university.
  - 3. Days in which a student is suspended, short-term, from school.
- H. “Work” means employment in a gainful trade or occupation or engagement in an alternative form of education to which the parent/guardian consents, and which is approved by the Superintendent of the charter school or his/her designee.
III. PROCEDURES: RECORDINGS ABSENCES
- A. Each classroom teacher shall be responsible for taking daily student attendance.
IV. PROCESS AND CONTENT
- A. Student absences shall be considered excused if they fall within the following reasons and students provide verification.
  - 1. Short and long-term mental and physical illnesses.
  - 2. Recurring illnesses.
  - 3. Observance of religious holidays.
  - 4. Bereavement.
  - 5. As required by law, disciplinary actions or short-term suspensions.
  - 6. Required court proceedings.
  - 7. School-sponsored/school-sanctioned activities, including school sports participation, field trips and academic competitions.
  - 8. Hazardous weather conditions.
  - 9. Work approved or sponsored by the school (i.e., service learning, EXCEL activity).
  - 10. When a student is not physically in the classroom but remains under the direct supervision of the school district, the absence(s) shall be documented as excused and are not counted as part of the 90 percent attendance calculation. School-sponsored/school sanctioned absences include, but are not limited to:
    - a. Standardized testing.
    - b. School sports participation.
    - c. Field trips and academic competitions.
    - d. Health center, nurse, counseling/guidance and administrative office visits.
    - e. Principal-approved student government and/or student council activities.
- B. All excused absences for illness shall be verified by a parent or other adult who is legally responsible for the care of the student or by the school authority responsible for the absence. Verification shall be provided to the school within four (4) school days of the absence. If verification of the absence is not presented within four (4) school days, the
  absence shall be coded as unexcused.
  - 1. Long-term illness shall be verified in writing by a community health-care professional (doctor, dentist, optometrist, mental health counselor etc.) or school nurse.
  - 2. Recurring illness shall be verified in writing by a community health-care professional (doctor, dentist, mental health counselor, etc.) that the absence is recurring and necessary.
  - 3. Short-term illness shall be verified in writing by a parent, community health-care professional (doctor, dentist, mental health counselor, etc.) or school nurse.
- C. It shall be the responsibility of the student to make up any and all schoolwork he/she missed due to absence, regardless of the reason for the absence.
  - 1. When absence is excused, the teacher shall provide the student with resources in order to learn the material missed during the absence(s).
V. MONITORING ATTENDANCE.
- A. Student absences shall be reported to the student’s parents/guardians on the student’s quarterly report card.
- B. LMCHS and outside agencies, shall develop and implement a continuum of interventions designed to support regular school attendance.
- C. High Schools:
  - 1. In order for a student to receive credit for a class, he/she must be in attendance for a minimum of ninety (90) percent of the days the class is offered or has received approval of an appeal for credit.
  - 2. High school students with excessive absences and/or tardies, both excused and unexcused, may be referred for appropriate intervention. At the discretion of the school principal/designee, students who have been absent for fifteen (15) days may be referred to appropriate school staff and/or outside agencies for intensive interventions designed to increased regular attendance. (LMCHS )
  - 3. A student and the student’s parent/guardian shall be provided verbal and written notice from the school at such time as a student’s attendance in any class drops below ninety (90) percent of the days the class is offered during any grading period.
    - a. Phone call procedures. When a student has reached their third (3rd), seventh (7th)
      and tenth (10th) absence, a designated person from LMCHS will contact the parent or
      guardian of the student and inform them of the absences.
    - b. Written procedure: When a student has reached fifteen (15) absences, the school will send written notification to the student’s parents or guardians that the student has reached fifteen (15) absences. The written parent notification shall indicate the need to schedule a parent/teacher conference to discuss available interventions that address the student’s attendance patterns and academic progress.
      - i. It shall be the responsibility of the parent/guardian to contact the school to
        schedule such a conference.
      - ii. A translator shall be made available during the conference if requested by the
        parent/guardian.
- F. HIGH SCHOOL APPEALS:
  - 1. Students who violate the ninety (90) percent attendance requirement (7 unexcused absences per semester) will be given a No Credit “NC” and will be required to successfully complete the terms of an attendance contract in order for the NC to be removed from their record. The contract will serve to assist students that have lost credit due to not meeting the attendance policy for a semester and will serve as the appeal and contract for credit. The minimum attendance requirement does not impact the acceptance of credit awarded through alternative means, such as online courses.
  - 2. Approved absences that are coded as “excused” shall not be included when calculating whether a student has failed to meet the ninety (90) percent attendance requirement.
VI. REPORTING (NMAC 6-10-8)
- A. The school shall maintain class attendance records by class period for every instructional day for each student in each school or school program in the school district or charter school in a manner verifiable by the New Mexico Public Education Department (NMPED).

Compulsory Student Attendance Policy

I. PURPOSE
- To establish responsibility for recording and excusing student absences and to outline procedures for monitoring and improving
  attendance and for follow-up with students and parents in accordance with requirements set forth in 22-8-2 (NMSA 1978).
II. DEFINITIONS
- A. “Attendance” means students who are in class or in a school-approved activity. If a student is in attendance up to one half of the total instructional time during a school day, the student will be counted as having attended one-half of a school day. If the student attends school for more than one-half of the total instructional time, the student will be counted as having attended for the full day (6-10-8-7 NMSA 1978)
- B. “Hazardous weather conditions” means weather conditions that would endanger the health or safety of the student when in transit to and from school, as defined and/or approved by the Superintendent of the charter school or his/her designee. C. “Immediate family members” means the child, spouse, father, mother, stepfather, stepmother, siblings, step-siblings, half-siblings, grandparents, mother-in-law, father-in-law, foster parents, guardians, and others who reside in the same household with the student.
- D. “Long-term illness” means acute or chronic health-related problems that require a student to be out of school more than three consecutive days, as verified by a health-care professional’s written note to the student’s school. E. “Recurring illness” means any medical or mental conditions that requires a student to see a health care professional on a recurring basis with standing appointments; and, that such appointments occur at least once per month. F. “Short-term illness” means any medical or mental conditions that keep a student out of school for three or fewer consecutive days, as verified by the parent.
- G. “School sponsored/school sanctioned activities” Means:
  - 1. Events or activities sponsored or held by school clubs, athletics, extracurricular or curricular classes.
  - 2. School coordinated visits to college/university campuses on officially designated visitation days or on alternate visits when the student has applied for admission to that particular college/university.
  - 3. Days in which a student is suspended, short-term, from school.
- H. “Work” means employment in a gainful trade or occupation or engagement in an alternative form of education to which the parent/guardian consents, and which is approved by the Superintendent of the charter school or his/her designee.
III. PROCEDURES: RECORDINGS ABSENCES
- A. Each classroom teacher shall be responsible for taking daily student attendance.
IV. PROCESS AND CONTENT
- A. Student absences shall be considered excused if they fall within the following reasons and students provide verification.
  - 1. Short and long-term mental and physical illnesses.
  - 2. Recurring illnesses.
  - 3. Observance of religious holidays.
  - 4. Bereavement.
  - 5. As required by law, disciplinary actions or short-term suspensions.
  - 6. Required court proceedings.
  - 7. School-sponsored/school-sanctioned activities, including school sports participation, field trips and academic competitions.
  - 8. Hazardous weather conditions.
  - 9. Work approved or sponsored by the school (i.e., service learning, EXCEL activity).
  - 10. When a student is not physically in the classroom but remains under the direct supervision of the school district, the absence(s) shall be documented as excused and are not counted as part of the 90 percent attendance calculation. School-sponsored/school sanctioned absences include, but are not limited to:
    - a. Standardized testing.
    - b. School sports participation.
    - c. Field trips and academic competitions.
    - d. Health center, nurse, counseling/guidance and administrative office visits.
    - e. Principal-approved student government and/or student council activities.
- B. All excused absences for illness shall be verified by a parent or other adult who is legally responsible for the care of the student or by the school authority responsible for the absence. Verification shall be provided to the school within four (4) school days of the absence. If verification of the absence is not presented within four (4) school days, the
  absence shall be coded as unexcused.
  - 1. Long-term illness shall be verified in writing by a community health-care professional (doctor, dentist, optometrist, mental health counselor etc.) or school nurse.
  - 2. Recurring illness shall be verified in writing by a community health-care professional (doctor, dentist, mental health counselor, etc.) that the absence is recurring and necessary.
  - 3. Short-term illness shall be verified in writing by a parent, community health-care professional (doctor, dentist, mental health counselor, etc.) or school nurse.
- C. It shall be the responsibility of the student to make up any and all schoolwork he/she missed due to absence, regardless of the reason for the absence.
  - 1. When absence is excused, the teacher shall provide the student with resources in order to learn the material missed during the absence(s).
V. MONITORING ATTENDANCE.
- A. Student absences shall be reported to the student’s parents/guardians on the student’s quarterly report card.
- B. LMCHS and outside agencies, shall develop and implement a continuum of interventions designed to support regular school attendance.
- C. High Schools:
  - 1. In order for a student to receive credit for a class, he/she must be in attendance for a minimum of ninety (90) percent of the days the class is offered or has received approval of an appeal for credit.
  - 2. High school students with excessive absences and/or tardies, both excused and unexcused, may be referred for appropriate intervention. At the discretion of the school principal/designee, students who have been absent for fifteen (15) days may be referred to appropriate school staff and/or outside agencies for intensive interventions designed to increased regular attendance. (LMCHS )
  - 3. A student and the student’s parent/guardian shall be provided verbal and written notice from the school at such time as a student’s attendance in any class drops below ninety (90) percent of the days the class is offered during any grading period.
    - a. Phone call procedures. When a student has reached their third (3rd), seventh (7th)
      and tenth (10th) absence, a designated person from LMCHS will contact the parent or
      guardian of the student and inform them of the absences.
    - b. Written procedure: When a student has reached fifteen (15) absences, the school will send written notification to the student’s parents or guardians that the student has reached fifteen (15) absences. The written parent notification shall indicate the need to schedule a parent/teacher conference to discuss available interventions that address the student’s attendance patterns and academic progress.
      - i. It shall be the responsibility of the parent/guardian to contact the school to
        schedule such a conference.
      - ii. A translator shall be made available during the conference if requested by the
        parent/guardian.
- F. HIGH SCHOOL APPEALS:
  - 1. Students who violate the ninety (90) percent attendance requirement (7 unexcused absences per semester) will be given a No Credit “NC” and will be required to successfully complete the terms of an attendance contract in order for the NC to be removed from their record. The contract will serve to assist students that have lost credit due to not meeting the attendance policy for a semester and will serve as the appeal and contract for credit. The minimum attendance requirement does not impact the acceptance of credit awarded through alternative means, such as online courses.
  - 2. Approved absences that are coded as “excused” shall not be included when calculating whether a student has failed to meet the ninety (90) percent attendance requirement.
VI. REPORTING (NMAC 6-10-8)
- A. The school shall maintain class attendance records by class period for every instructional day for each student in each school or school program in the school district or charter school in a manner verifiable by the New Mexico Public Education Department (NMPED).