Policy 2310 Student Attendance

The Board of Education believes that regular attendance is essential to achieving success in school.  Education is a total process based upon continual communication and shared responsibilities among parents, students, teachers and school.  As students mature and progress through the educational system, they should increasingly assume responsibility for regular attendance.  However, parents have a legal and moral responsibility to require regular attendance at school.

The Board of Education adopts handbooks with information related to attendance for each attendance center.  Please see these handbooks for details on attendance policies, regulations and procedures.

Policy 2311 Student Attendance Excused Absences

In accordance with Missouri state law, the District recognizes that the Future Farmers of America Organization (FFA), Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA), 4-H programs, and organized competitions held as part of the Missouri state fair involve important education and learning processes and are beneficial to District students.  Due to the nature of these organizations, students will occasionally need to miss school time in order to fully participate and benefit from the programs sponsored by these organizations.  Accordingly, students who miss school time during the regular school day due to participation in officially sanctioned activities of the Future Farmers of America Organization (FFA), Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA), 4-H, and competitions held as part of the Missouri state fair, shall receive an excused absence and shall be considered to be attending regularly scheduled instruction during such times of absence. Up to 10 days of school days for participation in such activities will be excused by the District per school year for each student.  If a leader of one of the above referenced organizations or the parent of a student participating in the Missouri state fair anticipates that a student will miss school time due to participation in an activity for such organization, the leader/parent shall let the building principal know with as much notice as possible prior to the event and receive his/her approval of the activity and for missed school time.  Time missed by students participating in an activity of such programs shall be included in the district's calculation of average daily attendance as defined by Missouri law.  Students who miss school time due to participation in an approved activity as set forth in this policy, will be expected to make up all school work missed during their absence. 

Policy 2320 Part-Time Attendance

Students may attend District schools on a part-time basis as provided by state law.  The hours of attendance need to be consecutive.  A cooperative plan shall be arrived at by the student, parent/guardian, and the school to ensure graduation requirements will be met.  A student is encouraged to enroll in added coursework above the minimum graduation requirements.

Policy 2340 Truancy and Educational Neglect

The Board of Education believes regular attendance is important to academic success.  Therefore, the Board directs that problems with attendance on the part of any student be investigated and acted upon promptly.

Truancy is defined as deliberate absence from school on the part of the pupil with or without the knowledge of the parent/guardian and for which no justifiable excuse is given.  When a pattern of truancy becomes evident, the principal will investigate and take such action as circumstances dictate.

Section 210.115 R.S.Mo. mandates reporting to the Division of Family Services when there is reasonable cause to suspect that a student's non-attendance is due to the educational neglect of the parents/guardians.

Any school official or employee who knows or has reasonable cause to suspect that a student is being subjected to home conditions or circumstances which would reasonably result in truancy will immediately report or cause a report to be made to the building principal, or his/her designee, who will then become responsible for making a report via the Student Abuse Hotline to the Missouri Division of Family Services (DFS) and/or the juvenile authorities.  The building principal shall inform the Superintendent/designee that a report has been made, and keep the Superintendent apprised of the status of the case.  Reporting to the Superintendent may be made as an attendance log.

Policy 2655 Discipline - Bullying

The District is committed to maintaining a learning and working environment free of any form of bullying or intimidation.  Bullying is strictly prohibited on school grounds, or school time, at a school sponsored activity or in a school related context.  Bullying is the intentional action by an individual or group of individuals to inflict intimidation, unwanted aggressive behavior, or harassment that is repetitive or is substantially likely to be repeated and causes a reasonable student to fear for his or her physical safety or property; substantially interferes with the educational performance, opportunities, or benefits of any student without exception; or substantially disrupts the orderly operation of the school. Bullying may consist of physical actions, including gestures, or oral, cyber-bullying, electronic, or written communication, and any threat of retaliation for reporting acts of bullying.  

Cyberbullying means bullying as defined above through the transmission of a communication including, but not limited to, a message, text, sound, or image by means of an electronic device including, but not limited to, a telephone, wireless telephone, or other wireless communication device, computer, or pager  Students are encouraged to report any incident of bullying which they have witnessed or incurred, by contacting their building principal. District employees are required to report any instance of bullying of which the employee has witnessed within two (2) school days of the occurrence. Employees shall report the occurrence to the building principal, who is the person the District designates to receive reports of incidents of bullying.  A principal who receives a report of an incident of bullying shall initiate an investigation into the allegations within two (2) school days of receipt of the report.  The principal may assign other employees to assist in the investigation, or request that the superintendent assign an outside investigator. The investigation shall be completed within ten school days from the date of the written report of bullying unless good cause exists to extend the investigation. No employee or student who reports an act of bullying shall be subject to reprisal or retaliation for making such a report. Any person who engages in reprisal or retaliation against an employee or student who reports an act of bullying shall be subject to disciplinary action.

Students who are found to have violated this policy will be subject to consequences depending on factors such as: age of student(s), degree of harm, severity of behavior, number of incidences, etc.  Possible consequences to a student for a violation of this policy include: loss of privileges, classroom detention, conference with teacher, parents contacted, conference with principal, in-school suspension, out-of-school suspension, expulsion, and law enforcement contacted.

The District shall give annual notice of the policy to students, parents or guardians, and staff.  This policy shall be included in all student handbooks.  This policy shall also be posted on the District's web page (as a Board policy) and a copy shall be placed in the District Administrative Office. 

The District shall provide information and appropriate training to District staff who have significant contact with students regarding the policy. All staff with significant student contact shall be trained on the requirements of this policy on an annual basis.  

The District shall provide education and information to students regarding bullying, including information regarding this policy prohibiting bullying, the harmful effects of bullying, and other applicable initiatives to address bullying, including student peer-to-peer initiatives to provide accountability and policy enforcement for those found to have engaged in bullying, reprisal, or retaliation against any person who reports an act of bullying. The District shall instruct its school counselors, school social workers, licensed social workers, mental health professionals, and school psychologists to educate students who are victims of bullying on techniques for students to overcome bullying's negative effects. Such techniques include but are not limited to, cultivating the student's self-worth and self-esteem; teaching the student to defend himself or herself assertively and effectively, helping the student develop social skills or encouraging the student to develop an internal focus of control.  District administrators will implement programs and other initiatives to address bullying, to respond to such conduct in a manner that does not stigmatize the victim, and to make resources or referrals available to victims of bullying.