School attendance is one of the major factors that impacts student progress. There is a direct relationship between student attendance and academic success. Attending school every day and being on time are the first steps toward academic achievement.
Excused Absences/Tardies
Parents or guardians must provide the school with a valid, written reason for an absence for it to be excused. The following constitute valid reasons according to district policies and state law:
• Personal illness
• Mental health day
• Personal medical or dental appointments
• Appearances in court when required by law
• Disciplinary action – short- or long-term suspensions, in-school suspension, expulsion
• Religious observances
• Family emergency approved by the principal (i.e., funeral, death, hospitalization, etc.)
School-approved activities (field trips and partnerships)
• Planned family activity that has been pre-approved by the principal
In all cases, the principal determines whether an absence is excused or unexcused.
All other absences to school will be considered unexcused.
If tardiness becomes a recurring problem, parents or guardians will be notified. Continued unexcused tardiness during the school day will be subject to including but not limited to lunch detention, after-school detention, no hall pass list or other non-exclusionary administrative action. Stewart will conduct regular hall sweep supports that are intended to support the punctuality of student attendance these also result in non-exclusionary administrative action.
Tardy Hall Passes
When a student is not in class when the bell rings, he or she is considered tardy. A student arriving to school late must check in at the attendance window for a tardy slip. A tardy less than 10 minutes will be recorded in the attendance system by the teacher. Students more than 10 minutes late should check in at the attendance office.
Extended Absence and Makeup Work
Parents or guardians must request approval from the principal or assistant principal in writing at least three days prior to the planned absence. The principal may consider the student’s academic record and the expected impact of the absence in approving or denying the request. Parents/guardians and students may be asked to sign an agreement to make up missed work or complete special assignments or the absence may become unexcused. Missed assignments may be obtained by checking schoology or emailing your student’s teachers.
Returning to School After an Absence
It is the parent or guardian’s responsibility to notify the school of a student’s absence or tardy by calling 253-571-2208 the day of the absence or tardy. Upon return, the student must provide a signed, written note or an email from their parent/guardian. The note/email must include the student’s full name, the parent or guardian’s full name, the date of the absence or tardy, the reason for the absence or tardy, and the parent or guardian’s signature with daytime telephone number. Note/email must be presented to the attendance office prior to the student returning to class. Absences/tardies will remain unexcused until proper documentation has been received by the attendance office. Note/email must be received in a timely manner in order for the school and parent/guardian to be in compliance with the state’s Becca Law.
Early Dismissal
If a student must leave school during the day for any reason, a dismissal slip must be obtained from the attendance office. A written request for early dismissal, to include the time and the reason for the dismissal, is to be presented to the attendance office between 7:45 a.m. and 8 a.m. on the day of the requested dismissal. Parents should attempt to schedule pickup outside of the lunch hours (11:15-12:45) since students are hard to find during this period. Students will not be called out of class early to wait for pickup. Please come a few minutes early to allow time for them to be called out of class.
Anyone picking up a student must be on the authorized pickup list and bring photo identification.
If a student becomes ill during the day, the nurse or office will issue an early dismissal slip after receiving authorization from the parent or guardian. Parents and guardians should be prepared to provide valid identification prior to the release of a student.
Truancy and Leaving School Grounds
The Tacoma School District maintains a closed campus policy.
Once a student arrives at school, they may not leave the school grounds until the end of the scheduled school day without written permission from the office. Students who leave campus without written permission before the end of the scheduled day are considered truant and a possible safety concern. Students are truant when they are willfully, and without authorization, absent from class. A parent/guardian conference may be required before a truant student is allowed to re-enter their classes.
