Celebrating 125 Years of Putting Students First

Academic Support Services Special Programs Mail Stop AD-177 815 Fourth Avenue North P O Box 19116 Seattle, WA 98109-1116 The Seattle Public Schools

September, 2000

Dear Parents/Guardians:

In May 1995, the Governor signed new provisions to the Compulsory School Attendance law (28A.225 RCW) with very strict expectations for student attendance at school and for returning truant students to school. I very much: support the law and ask your assistance in implementing it by assuring that your child(ren) attend(s) all classes on a daily basis. These are premises of the law that I fully endorse:

• Students between the ages of 6 and 18 are subject to truancy provisions in the attendance law.
• Students do not learn when they are absent from school. They miss critical instruction for understanding key concepts and quickly fall behind in completing assignments.
• Schools and parents/guardians share a responsibility to assure that students attend classes unless there is a good reason not to do so.
• Schools must intervene quickly whenever a student has an unexcused absence.
• The court system is a final, but necessary, step to return some students who have become truant to regular class attendance. Court action may be against the parents/guardians if the court determines that the parent is the cause of the student's unexcused absences.

School staff will take daily attendance and notify you when your child is absent without an excuse. We will request a conference with you if your child has two or more unexcused absences in an effort to determine why your child is not attending school and to help develop a plan to ensure your child's regular attendance. You may notify us about your child's excused absence by telephone or in a written note. Please remember to include the reason why your child is absent in your telephone call or note.

The following District definitions of excused and unexcused absences are for students at all ages:

Excused Absences:

• Unplanned absences are excused when your child's personal illness or injury. or the illness, injury or death of a family member, prevents your child from attending school. The school may require a note from your child's doctor if your child is absent due to illness or injury for an excessive number of days before excusing those absences.
• Planned absences are excused when you submit a request to the principal or assistant principal at least three school days before the start of the planned absence, usually for a family trip, doctor or dentist appointment, or religious or other special event. The school may require your child to complete missed assignments and/or make another academic assignment for extended planned absences.
• Absences due to short-term discipline of your child are excused on District attendance records.

Unexcused Absences:

• All other absences are considered unexcused, including absences caused by the student or parent oversleeping, student missing the bus, transportation problems, student needed for babysitting, student job requirements, etc.
• Absences by long-term suspended and expelled students for whom space is available in the reentry program, but who do not enroll and attend, are unexcused.
• A parent request to "excuse my child's absence" without a stated reason or with a reason that does not meet the above criteria for excused absences will cause the child's absence to remain unexcused.

The Compulsory School Attendance law{28A.225.030 RCW) requires that the District file petitions with the Juvenile Court for all students who have seven (7) or more unexcused absences in a month or ten (10) or more unexcused absences in a school year. The petition asks that the court compel the child to attend school. If a petition has been filed, the court will set a date and time for a hearing and require that you and your child attend. If at the hearing the court finds that your child has been truant, it will order your child to attend school and possibly may impose other requirements or penalties on you or your child.

Principals have asked our staff to identify children who may be developing attendance problems or have unexcused absences and to work with you to help ensure that your child attends school every day. Regular school attendance is beneficial for you, your child, the school, and the community.

Respectfully,
Ruth McFadden, Ed.D.
Special Programs, Truancy Office