Attendance Policy

WES ATTENDANCE POLICY
(Effective July 30, 2008)

The Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS) requires a child who is six years of age and not yet eighteen on January 1st, of any school year, to attend either a public or private school unless properly excused from school. The Department of Education is tasked with enforcing this compulsory attendance law. Students who are chronic absentees may be referred to Family Court. (DOE School Attendance Procedures, Revised July 2007)

The Webling attendance policy provides guidelines by which monitoring and communication with families will be maintained to promote the success of every child in our school.

*All schools will notify parents or guardians when absences or tardies occur, except that notification is REQUIRED for five (5) absences from school or class.

*Interventions upon 5 absences or tardies will include notification of teacher, counselor, and principal. Parents/guardians will be notified via phone call of 5 or more absences or tardies. (Notification is required for 10 absences from school or class at mid-quarter—late September, late November, late February, late April—per the DOE School Attendance Procedures for excessive absences/tardies.)

*Interventions for up to 10 or more absences or tardies will include notification of teacher, counselor, and principal. A letter and attendance summary will be mailed to notify parent(s)/guardian(s) of excessive absences/tardies.

*Intervention upon 15 and 20 absences will include notification of teacher, counselor, and principal. An excessive absences/tardies letter and attendance summary will be mailed to notify parent(s)/guardians(s) of excessive absences/tardies and a mandatory conference with parent(s)/guardian(s), teacher, counselor, administrator, and/or other resource personnel. (For noncompliance a school team will determine the need to file a Family Court Petition for educational neglect.

Note: NCLB requires 95% participation in the HSA testing for all students in grades 3-6. Student attendance during the testing periods is essential for schools to meet the 95% participation benchmark for NCLB.