Report an Absence

Regular Absences

Regular attendance by all students is important.  Students who have irregular attendance tend to have poor academic success.  For this reason, it is important that parents and students make every effort to make appointments outside the school hours.  

If your student is going to be tardy or absent, a parent must contact the attendance line at 644-1133.  The number is an automated system that will take your call 24 hours a day.  Please state the students name, parent name and reason for absence.

Student absences should be called in before 8:00 a.m. Automated attendance calls will go out beginning at 8:15 a.m.

A student is considered EXCUSED for the following reasons:

• Personal illness
• Illness in the immediate family
• Death of a relative
• Quarantine of the home
• Work at home due to the absence of parents or guardians
• Religious reasons
• Emergency reasons that must be considered to have a good and sufficient cause for the absence (court appearance, suspensions, etc.)

To assist with attendance record keeping, it is encouraged that you send a doctor’s note anytime your child attends a medical appointment (including dental, orthodontic, etc.) during school hours.

Automated Attendance Calls

Lakota uses ParentSquare to alert parents/guardians of any child’s unreported absence from school. This automated system helps expedite our daily process for absence notifications and uses the same parent/guardian phone number and email address provided through FinalForms (viewable in Home Access Center or ParentSquare).

Attendance notices are sent via email and text (if a mobile number is available); a phone call or voicemail will be delivered ONLY if a text message is undeliverable. Attendance notices are also sent as urgent alerts, meaning it will override any parent/guardian's decision to opt out of school or district messages. 

If your child is absent or going to be tardy from school for any reason, you must notify the school within an hour of the start of the school day.  If your child is marked absent and you have not reported the absence by this time, you will receive an attendance notice around 8:45 a.m. To respond with the absence reason, you will need to call the main office or log into and respond within ParentSquare. Failure to report the reason will result in an unexcused absence. 

Truancy

A student is considered truant if he or she is absent or tardy from school without an excused reason.  UNEXCUSED absences/tardies include, but are not limited to the following:

• Missed bus
• Overslept
• No parent note or excuse offered

There are consequences for unexcused tardies:

1. The second unexcused tardy the student gets a warning;
2. The third unexcused tardy will result in a post card sent home to parents;
3. The fourth unexcused tardy will result in detention; and
4. The fifth unexcused tardy is a Saturday School.

Planned Absences

Planned absences for longer than 2 days require administrative approval. Please email Mrs. Wade and copy Mrs. Montgomery.

Per our school policy, teachers are not required to make long-range assignments for vacationing students.  Also, students may take tests missed during their absence at the convenience of the teacher.  All work given prior to the vacation is due on the first day a student returns from their vacation.