Absences
Please call the office by 8:30 a.m. if your child is to be absent from school. The State requires us to report all absences and their reasons.
Absences affect your child and the school. Teachers may be unable to make up lessons your child misses during absences. The school is also not funded if students have excessive absences. Plan your vacations during school vacations!
Pursuant to A.R.S. § 15-901(A)(1), excused absences are identified by the Department of Education. The Department of Education defines an excused absence as an absence due to illness, doctor appointment, mental or behavioral health, homelessness, bereavement, family emergencies, time necessary to process for the armed forces, and out-of-school suspensions. Excused absences due to out-of-school suspensions must not exceed 25 instructional days scheduled for the school year.
In order for absences relating to illness, doctor appointment, bereavement, family emergencies, or district approved family vacation to be counted as excused absences, the school must be notified in advance or at the time of any absence by the parent or other person who has custody of the student per A.R.S. § 15-807(B). The school will document the date, reason, and person reporting the absence. The documented record shall be maintained for not less than four years after the fiscal year it was created or received. If an absence occurs relating to any other term or condition that is not specifically designated herein, the absence shall be counted as unexcused. Students absent for ten consecutive school days, except for excused absences identified herein, shall be withdrawn from the school effective the last day of attendance or reported excused absence, pursuant to A.R.S. § 15-901(A).
Students who have reached the 18 day threshold for cumulative absences (excused and unexcused) at school well meet with their parents/guardians, lead teacher and administration to discuss the issue. These absences affect school funding. Excessive absences result in loss of funding as Average Daily Membership (ADM) intervals in AzEDS. This is how schools are paid.
Students with a documented chronic health problem are not subject to the non-fundable ADM intervals. School districts and charter districts must submit a Chronic Illness support need to AzEDS to indicate a period of chronic health problem as defined in A.R.S. § 15-346 in order for the exemption to apply.
KMS has established a minimum standard for attendance necessary for a student to complete one year of academic work. Excessive school year absences (25 days) will result in the student spending an extra year to complete the academic cycle.
Religious Observance
Policy on absence of students due to religious OBSERVANCE
Arizona Revised Statues ARS 15-806 requires the governing board of each school district to adopt a policy governing the excuse of students for religious purposes.
The governing board of Khalsa Montessori Elementary School hereby adopts the following policy governing the excuse of pupils for religious purposes. The Khalsa Montessori School permits a pupil to be excused from school attendance for religious purposes, including participation in religious exercises or religious instruction.
Conditions under which a student’s absence will be considered excused due to religious purposes include the following:
- The person who has custody of the pupil shall give written consent to the school office. This written consent will include the dates or duration of the pupil’s absence from the classroom.
- The total number of days of excused absence for religious purposes shall not exceed a total of 10 days within the school year. Any religious observances in excess of 10 days in a year will be considered on an individual case basis by the school administration. In such a situation, the school may request additional documentation from a church or religious denomination or group.
- Any religious instruction or exercise shall take place at a suitable place away from school property designated by the church or religious denomination or group.
- Make-up examinations and work shall be arranged so as not to create an unreasonable burden upon either the student or the instructor or school.
- All religious observances, in all religious traditions, are subject to this policy