Attendance
Regular school attendance is directly related to success in academic work, benefits students socially, provides opportunities for important communications between teachers and students, and promotes habits important to the future success of the student. LILA encourages regular school attendance and believes it is a joint responsibility to be shared by the student, parent or legal guardian, teacher, and administrators.
In accordance with the Minnesota Compulsory Instruction Law, Minn. Stat. 120A.22, students are required to attend school every day school is in session unless the student has been excused by the school from attendance or has a valid excuse for absence.
Excused absences include:
- Student illness verified by a parent, guardian or health care provider. If school personnel determine the illness absences are excessive, Minnesota law permits the school to require the family to provide medical verification or to see the school nurse.
- Religious observances required by the student’s religion.
- Extreme family emergency - e.g. house fire, critical injury to parent/guardian, funeral of a close family member.
- Medical appointments that cannot be scheduled outside of school hours.
Unexcused absences include, but are not limited to:
- Tardiness - e.g. alarm didn’t work, missed bus, overslept, car trouble. Upper School parents must call the school to report the tardy. Lower School parents must sign-in their child upon arrival to school.
- Shopping.
- Visits from friends/family members.
- Needed at home - e.g. babysitting, chores.
- Camps, athletic or other competitions NOT pre-arranged with the school and approved by the principal.
- Family vacation NOT pre-arranged with the school and approved by the principal.
- No communication regarding an absence - i.e. note or phone call from parent/guardian.
- Others deemed unexcused by school administration.
- Travel outside of the state or country provides rich learning opportunities, however, families should make every attempt to schedule vacations during breaks from school. Under Minnesota law, school administration has the right to determine the validity of any request for an excused absence.
LILA carefully monitors unexcused absences and will send written notification to parents regarding school attendance issues. Per Minn. Statute 206.015, Subd 10 and Minn. Statute 127.19 and 127.70, failure to improve may result in referral to the county attorney in the county where the family resides to assess for educational neglect.
Refer to Lakes International Language Academy, District #4116, Policy 332 for additional information regarding absences.
ABSENT TODAY ABSENCES:
These are same day absences including health/illness and injury related absences, arriving late or leaving early from school for medical or other appointments, or other absences such as a family emergency.
PREARRANGED ABSENCES: These are extended absences that need the approval of the building principal to be considered an excused absence. Families usually know about these in advance. They include vacations, funerals, family events, religious observances, surgery, full day medical or dental appointments, or other extended absences.