ATTENDANCE AND TARDIES
(Compulsory School Attendance DPS Policy 300)
According to New Mexico law on compulsory attendance, any student or person who is between the ages of 5 and 18 shall attend a public school, private school, or institution until attaining the age of 18.
The state law holds parents responsible for the regular school attendance of their children. Parents who violate the compulsory school attendance law may be guilty of a petty misdemeanor.
Excessive and unexcused absences/tardies will be turned over to the district’s truant officer.
For the safety of your child, you must accompany your child into the building and sign him/her in if s/he is tardy.
An unexcused absence of two or more classes up to fifty percent of an instructional day shall be counted as one-half day absence, and the unexcused absence of more than fifty percent of an instructional day shall be counted as one full-day absence. As a courtesy, if your child is going to have a planned absence or tardy, please notify your child’s teacher and the school.
- The parent, guardian or person having custody or control of the student to be excused shall notify the school each day his or her child will be absent from any class and the reason for the absence or shall provide a written and signed verification of the reason for the student’s absence, to be presented upon the first day a student returns to school from any absence. If student has been absent for 5 or more consecutive days due to illness, the principal or his/her designee may require written verification from the student’s professional health-care provider.
- Students have the same number of days as absent to complete missed homework. If the student is absent more than one day, the parent should contact the school, fill out a planned absence form, and make arrangements to pick up his/her child’s work.
- If a note or email is not received by the teacher or front office by the fifth day after your child has returned to school, the absence will be counted as unexcused
- Members of the office staff reserve the right to call your home or work the day of the absence to be sure that you are aware of your child’s absence. You may also be receiving a call or text message from the parent notification system.
- The classroom teacher will be responsible for keeping track of the unexcused absences and tardies. Referrals will be made to the office, and the office will contact parents by letter.
- Individual schools may have an incentive program for perfect attendance. Please check with your child’s teacher for details. As noted on page 2, other measures to be imposed according to this policy include: students may receive detention, in-school suspension, or other discipline designed to keep the student in school and progressing academically for each unexcused absence at the discretion of the principal or the designee. Out-of-school suspension and expulsion will not be used as punishment for truancy or unexcused absences.
- Parent Notification of Absence: Parent or guardian shall notify the school each day his or her child will be absent from any class and the reason for the absence or shall provide a written and signed verification of the reason for the student’s absence presented upon the first day a student returns to school from any absence. If a student has been absent for 5 or more consecutive days due to illness, the principal or his/her designee may require written verification from the student’s professional health-care provider
- Notice to Parents of Unexcused Absence: If a student is absent from school without a parent notification of absence the principal or the designee will, as soon as practicable, contact the parents or legal guardians by telephone or mail to give notice of the student’s absence and to ascertain and document the reason for the absence.
- Third Unexcused Absence -- Parent Conference Required: Upon a student’s accrual of a third unexcused absence, the school will provide written notice to the student’s parent or legal guardian that the parent/guardian shall be required to meet with the principal or his/her designee for the purpose of identifying the cause(s) of the unexcused absences, and to establish an intervention/corrective plan to prevent future unexcused absences. The plan will be confirmed in writing and signed by the principal and the parent or legal guardian during the conference.
- Fifth Unexcused Absence -- Parent Conference and Notice to Probation Services Office: Upon the student’s accrual of a fifth unexcused absence during the school year, the school shall notify the student’s parent/guardian that he or she is required to attend a further conference to review the plan to prevent unexcused absences. The intervention/corrective plan to prevent future unexcused absences shall be reviewed with the student’s parent or legal guardian and shall be modified as necessary to prevent future unexcused absences. The revised plan shall be confirmed in writing and signed by the principal and the parent or legal guardian during the conference. Strategies for intervention shall be incorporated into the plan.
- Subsequent Unexcused Absences: Following notification of a student’s fifth unexcused absence, the school will provide written notification to the Probation Services Office of a student’s accrual of additional unexcused absences. The school may arrange for further conference(s) to review and modify the plan.
- Parent Failure to Meet: If a parent/guardian fails to arrange, or to appear for, a conference regarding unexcused absences within 10 days of notice from the school, the school will provide written notice to the Probation Services Office of such failure. School staff will cooperate with the Juvenile Probation Office or the District Attorney in enforcement actions.
- Notice and Reports of Habitual Truancy (Ten Unexcused Absences): Upon the student’s tenth accrual of unexcused absences, the school shall provide written notice of habitual truancy by certified mail to, or by personal service on, the parent/guardian of the student. If a student receives another unexcused absence after written notice of habitual truancy has occurred, the student shall be reported within seven (7) days of this unexcused absence to the Probation Services Office of the judicial district where the student resides for an investigation as to whether the student shall be considered to be a neglected child or a child in a family in need of services because of habitual truancy and thus subject to the provisions of the Children’s Code.
- Action by Probation Services Office/District Attorney’s Office: If the habitual truant is not referred to the children’s court by the juvenile probation office for appropriate disposition, including consideration of initial or renewed suspension of his or her driving privileges not to exceed ninety days on the first finding of habitual truancy and not to exceed one year for a subsequent finding of habitual truancy, the school district may contact the children’s court attorney directly to determine what action will be taken.
- If determination and finding have been made by the juvenile probation office that the habitual truancy by the student may have been caused by the parent or guardian of the student, and no charges have been filed against the parent or guardian, the district may contact the district attorney’s office to determine what action will be taken.
For the complete DPS Attendance Policy, go to:
www.demingps.org (Board of Education/Policy Manual).
If you would like to report an absence, please email us at:
[email protected]