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Parents » Attendance Policy

Attendance Policy

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The state of Arizona requires that all students attend school 90 percent of the school year. Benchmark students attend school 180 days per year, which means that a Benchmark student has nine (9) sick days a semester/ four per quarter. When a student reaches nine absences a semester, a doctor’s note may be required to excuse any further absences. A student who is absent more than 10 percent (18 days) of the required number of school days per year is considered to have “excessive absences,” whether the absence is excused or unexcused. An absence is defined as a minimum of one missed class period per day. A student whose absences may have materially affected academic progress may fail that subject, receive a lower grade, or be retained for the next school year.
Absences
When a child is absent, it is the parent's responsibility to report each absence. A parent may report an absence by calling the front office and leaving a message or emailing [email protected]. Please report your child's absence as soon as possible. 
                                              Excused Absences                                                                                                       Unexcused Absences
  • Illness 
  • Family Vacations
  • Medical Appointments
  • Non-medical Appointments
  • Religious Holidays (with parent note)
  • Babysitting
  • Death in the family (with parent note)
  • An absence without notifying the school prior
  • Personal/Family Emergency (with parent note)
  • Any other reason that is not on the excused absence list
 
Early Departures & Late Arrivals

Parents are requested to schedule appointments after 3:15 p.m. to avoid the need for an early dismissal. If it becomes necessary for the student to be released from school for a doctor/dental appointment or other unavoidable emergencies, the following procedure should be followed:

 

  • Parent/Guardian will need to send a handwritten note to the school (or call the school) that states the student’s first and last name, date and time of release, and the reason for the early dismissal. The student is to bring this note to the office before school begins.
  • All students must be signed out by a parent/guardian (or someone designated by the parent/guardian on the emergency card) in the office before leaving the building.
  • The written note will be kept in the student’s attendance file.
 

Being on time is a life skill important to each student’s future, and schools share the responsibility to teach the importance of this skill. The tardiness of individual students interrupts instructional time for all students. Promptness to class allows the teachers to begin the instruction on time for everyone. Tardiness to class is defined as not being physically in the room at 8:00 am.

 
  • Students arriving late (after 8:15 AM) to school must report to the office with their parent/guardian to be counted in attendance before class.
  • Parents of students who have 10 or more tardies in a semester may be required to meet with the principal/designee to discuss the reasons for the tardies and to develop an improvement plan.
 
Makeup Work Requests
If a student is ill for two or more days, a parent may contact the office at 602-765-3582, or reach out to the teachers directly, on normal school days to request homework for the student. Homework can be picked up by the student’s family the next day in most situations.