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4170 - Attendance Policy - First Reading

  1. PHILOSOPHY AND PURPOSE
    It is the philosophy of Weber School District that achievement in school and in the future is directly linked to school attendance. Students who are present during the instructional portion of the school day are both more likely to succeed in school and more likely to succeed outside of school. The purpose of this Policy is to set expectations for attendance in Weber District’s schools and to encourage restorative practices where applicable as the means to ensure student attendance. It must be understood that participation in classes is a vital aspect of learning and assessment of learning. Reduction of class requirements cannot be expected for extended absences, and prolonged absences may result in a lower grade in many classes, as there is no way to duplicate the activities of some classes while the student is absent.

  2. POLICY
    Students should realize the importance of education for a quality life for themselves and the healthy future of a society. Students are required to attend school unless they have a valid excuse. Students who are not in attendance for all or part of the school day and do not have a valid excuse are considered truant. Truancies will be addressed in accordance with the procedures set forth in this policy. Students enrolled in a Weber District online program are also required to attend school. Attendance for online students is defined in this policy in Section VII.

  3. DEFINITIONS
    1. “Absence" means the failure of a school-age child assigned to a class or class period to attend a class or class period. “Absence" or “absent" does not mean multiple tardies used to calculate an absence for the sake of truancy. In secondary schools, absence also means arriving at a class period more than half of a class period late, without a valid excuse from the office.1
    2. “Approved School Activity" means an activity sponsored by the school and approved by the school administration. A student may attend an approved school activity as a member of a team, class, club, or group. Approved school activities are excused absences, however, students are responsible for completing any missed schoolwork. Students are counted as “present" in the student information system for reporting.
    3. “Chronic Absenteeism" means a student misses 10% or more of days enrolled, for any reason. Chronic absenteeism makes a school aware that the beginning of tiered interventions may be needed.2
    4. “Extended Absences" means pre-arranged absences that last more than 6 consecutive days in any school term with the exception of illnesses.
    5. “Habitual Truant" means a school-age minor who is at least 12 years old and in 7th grade or above, is truant at least 20 days during one school year, or fails to cooperate with efforts on the part of the school authorities to resolve their attendance problem.
    6. “Intervention" means a series of non-punitive and increasingly frequent and individualized activities that are designed to create a trusting relationship between teachers, students, and parents; improve attendance; improved academic outcomes; and reduce negative behavior referrals. Intervention includes:
      1. mentorship programs;
      2. family connection to community resources;
      3. academic support through small group or individualized tutoring or similar methods;
      4. and teaching executive function skills, including:
        1. planning;
        2. goal setting;
        3. understanding and following multi-step directions; and
        4. self-regulation.
    7. "Minor" means an individual who is under 18 years old, and is not emancipated.
    8. "Notice of Compulsory Education Violation" means a notice of violation to the parents of students in grades 1-6. Notice of Compulsory Education Violation may be issued to the parent of a school-age child who is absent without a valid excuse at least 5 times during the school year. The notice shall direct the parent to meet with school authorities to discuss the child’s attendance problem and direct them to cooperate with the school authorities in securing regular attendance by the school-age child.
    9. "Notice of Truancy" means a notice issued to students and parents of students in grades 7-12. Notice of Truancy may be issued to a parent of a school-age child who is absent without a valid excuse at least 5 times during the school year. The notice shall direct the school-age child who receives the notice of truancy and the parent of the school-age child to meet with school authorities to discuss the school-age child’s truancies, and cooperate with the school authorities in securing regular attendance by the school-age child.
    10. “Parent" means a biological or adoptive parent or legal guardian, custodial parent of a minor, or legally appointed guardian of a minor.
    11. “Reasonably Accommodate" means a school makes its best effort to enable a parent to exercise parental right specified in Utah Code 53-G-801. A requirement of the district to make its best effort to enable a parent/guardian to exercise a parental right without substantial impact on staff and resources, including employee working conditions, safety and supervision at school and for school activities, and the efficient allocation of expenditures; and while balancing (1) parental rights, (2) educational needs of the students, (3) the academic and behavioral impacts to a classroom, (4) a teacher’s workload, and (5) the assurance of the safe and efficient operation of a school, as outlined in Utah Code 53G-6-801.
    12. “Restorative justice program" means a school-based program or a program used or adopted by the District that is designed:
      1. to enhance school safety, reduce school suspensions, and limit referrals to law enforcement agencies and courts; and
      2. to help minors take responsibility for and repair harmful behavior that occurs in school.3
    13. School-age child means a minor who is at least six years old but younger than 18 years old and is not emancipated.
    14. School day means the portion of a day that school is in session in which a school-age child is required to be in school for purposes of receiving instructions.
    15. Student means a school-age child. For purposes of this policy, the terms “school-age child" and “student" will be used interchangeably.
    16. Tardy means failure to arrive to class on time, ie, arriving after the tardy bell has rung. In secondary schools, arriving at a class period more than half of a class period late, without a valid excuse from the office will be marked as an absence, not tardy.
    17. Truant means a condition in which a school-age child, without a valid excuse, is absent for at least half of the school day; or if the school-age child is enrolled in a learner verified program, as that term is defined by the state board, the relevant amount of time under the District's policy regarding the District's continuing enrollment measure as it relates to truancy. A school-age child may not be considered truant more than one time during the same day.4
    18. Valid excuse means:
      1. an illness, which may be either mental or physical, regardless of whether the school-age child or parent provides documentation from a medical professional;
      2. the mental or behavioral health of the school-age child;
      3. a family death;
      4. an approved school activity;
      5. an administrative excused absence is an absence permitted by a school-age child’s IEP or Section 504 Plan;
      6. a pre-arranged absence is a scheduled family event, scheduled proactive visit to a health care provider, or court appearances) if the parent submits a written statement to the attendance secretary or main office, at least one school day before the scheduled absence and the student agrees to make up missed work for the scheduled absence; or
      7. competition in a rodeo sanctioned by an international, non-profit organization dedicated to the development of sportsmanship, horsemanship, and character in youth through the sport of rodeo.
    19. Unexcused absence means any absence that is not an absence with a valid excuse. A teacher is not obligated to provide an opportunity for make-up work for unexcused absences.

  4. ATTENDANCE EXPECTATIONS
    1. Secondary students are required to attend each period for each class in which they are enrolled each day unless granted a Valid Excuse as provided in this policy. Elementary students are required to attend school each day for the full instructional day unless granted a Valid Excuse as provided in this policy.
    2. Students are required to arrive on time to each class in which they are enrolled and remain in class unless excused as outlined in this policy.
    3. Elementary and junior high campuses are considered closed campuses. Elementary and junior high students may not leave the campus during the school day without approval of a school administrator or by following the checkout procedure in section V.B.
    4. Student enrollment in Adult Education, Two Rivers, Horizons, Weber Innovation Center, and Canyon View shall maintain its own operational guidelines tailored to its unique student population. These procedures must align with applicable district policies, state and federal laws.

  5. PROCEDURES
    1. General Procedures:
      1. Teachers will mark attendance rolls daily for each class period at the secondary level. Teachers will mark the attendance roll once a day at the elementary level A teacher will not delegate roll-keeping to a student.
      2. Students enrolled in concurrent enrollment courses may be held to the attendance standard of the college or university those students are enrolled in.
      3. A student enrolled in Weber School District Online School or another online program through the Statewide Online Education Program will have attendance verified in accordance with Section (VII) of this Policy.
    2. Check-out Procedures
      1. Any student who leaves campus during the school day is required to check out at the attendance office or main office.
      2. In order for the absence to be considered a Valid Excuse the absence must be reported to the school by the parent or guardian at the point of check out.
      3. If the student does not check out at the attendance office, the absence will be considered unexcused. (Attendance Code A will be assigned without a valid excuse.)
      4. When a student checks out and leaves school in accordance with the procedure listed in this section and then returns to school later in the day, they are required to check in at the attendance or main office.
      5. Violation of this procedure that results in unexcused absences may also result in a Notice of Compulsory Education Violation, report to the Division of Child and Family Services, Notice of Truancy, loss of citizenship due to tardiness or absence, or other school-wide strategies that address attendance.
    3. Valid Excuse Procedures
      1. It is the student's responsibility to request make-up work when absent for a valid excuse, including approved school activity absences. In such cases, the teacher shall help students by allowing them to make up the missed work. Teachers may set reasonable timelines for completion of make-up work.
      2. For an absence to be documented as a Valid Excuse, a parent must contact the school and provide one of the following reasons for the absence:
        1. an illness, which may be either mental or physical, regardless of whether the school-age child or parent provides documentation from a medical professional; behavioral health of the school-age child;
        2. a family death;
        3. an approved school activity;
        4. an administrative excused absence which is an absence permitted by a school-age child’s IEP or Section 504 Plan;
        5. A pre-arranged absence which is a scheduled family event, court appearance, or scheduled proactive visit to a health care provider if the parent submits a written statement at least one school day before the scheduled absence to the school and the student agrees to make up missed work for the scheduled absence.
        6. Competition in a rodeo sanctioned by an international, non-profit organization dedicated to the development of sportsmanship, horsemanship, and character in youth through the sport of rodeo.
      3. The school or district may not require documentation from a medical professional to substantiate a valid excuse for a mental or physical illness.
      4. A parent must contact the school within 5 school days following the absence. The 5 school day limit, however, does not extend beyond the end of the term. All requests for an absence to be excused must be made by the last day of each term.
      5. Teachers shall allow a student with a Valid Excuse for an absence to make up missing coursework. It is the student’s responsibility to work with the teachers in making up work.
    4. Extended absences
      1. A school will reasonably accommodate a parent’s request for an extended absence. A reasonable accommodation does not include requests for all class work to be provided prior to the extended absence nor does it require teachers to provide all assignments in an online format.
      2. If a parent or guardian takes their student out of school for an extended absence, the parent or guardian must make prior arrangements with the principal, and the student must arrange for make-up work with the teacher.
      3. If a parent or guardian fails to make prior arrangements with the principal for extended absences, the student's absence will be considered unexcused. (attendance code A).
      4. For extended absences due to illness, refer to Policy 4145 Home and Hospital.
      5. If a student has ten (10) consecutive unexcused absences, the school will comply with the following procedures:
        1. Schools shall send parents notice that their student will be withdrawn from enrollment if the student’s absences continue. 
        2. If the school does not receive a response after sending the 10-day withdrawal notification within three (3) school days, the school administrators or assigned designee will contact the parent via phone call.
        3. Schools will implement the interventions outlined in Section VIII when working with a student who has ten (10) or more consecutive unexcused absences.
      6. After complying with the above procedures and if a student continues to have consecutive unexcused absences, a school principal shall unenroll the student.

  6. TRUANCIES
    1. Students who have an unexcused absence for at least half or all of the school day may be considered truant.
    2. Responses to Truancies5
      1. School officials will make best efforts to contact parents/legal guardians when a student is truant.
      2. A school may schedule a parent-student-teacher conference to discuss the student’s truancies.
      3. Every effort will be made to address the underlying reason a student is truant and to structure supports and services necessary for the student to attend class. Truancy interventions will be developed in alignment with Section VIII in collaboration with parents by working with the student and other school personnel.
      4. Citizenship credit may be affected by truancies.
      5. Coaches and advisors of extracurricular activities may set expectations that condition participation in an activity on attendance/truancies at school or may only allow excused absences for continued participation in the activity. Any conditional participation based on attendance will be outlined in the coach/advisor’s disclosure or constitution at the beginning of the year/season.
      6. Classroom teachers may NOT reduce a student’s academic grade on the sole basis of a student’s truancy. Teachers may use in-class activities that incentivize students to be present.
    3. Notice of Truancy6
      1. Weber School District authorizes school administrators or a designee of a school
        administrator to issue Notices of Truancy.
      2. A notice of truancy may only be issued to school-age minors who are at least 12 years old and in 7th grade or above, and have been truant at least 5 times during the school year.
      3. The notice shall direct the school-age minor and the parent to meet with school authorities to discuss the truancies and cooperate with the school administration in determining supports and interventions to secure regular attendance by the school-age minor.
      4. The notice shall be mailed to, or served on, the school-age child's parent by school personnel.

  7. COMPULSORY EDUCATION7 (For school-age minors in grade 1 through 6)
    1. School personnel shall identify school-age minors who have attendance problems and make efforts to resolve the problem using interventions, by contacting parents, working with the student, and enlisting the help of other school personnel.
    2. Notices of Compulsory Education Violation
      1. Elementary school administrators may issue Notices of Compulsory Education Violations to the parent/legal guardian of a school-age child who has been absent without a valid excuse at least 5 times during the school year.
        1. The notice shall direct the parent/legal guardian of the school-age child to meet with school authorities to discuss the child’s attendance problem.
        2. The notice requires parents/legal guardians to cooperate with school authorities in securing regular attendance by the child.
        3. The notice shall designate the school authorities with whom the parents are required to meet.
        4. The notice shall state that it is a Class B Misdemeanor for the parent/legal guardian of the child to intentionally or recklessly fail to meet with the designated school authorities to discuss the child’s attendance problem or fail to prevent the child from being absent without a valid excuse 5 or more times during the remainder of the school year.
        5. The Notice shall be served on the child’s parent/legal guardian by school personnel or by certified mail.
      2. The school administrator shall report to the Division of Child and Family Services:
        1. identifying information of the school-age child and the parent who received the Notice of Compulsory Education Violation;
        2. information regarding the longest number of consecutive school days the school-age child has been absent or truant from school and the percentage of school days the school-age child has been absent or truant during each relevant school term;
        3. whether the school-age child has made adequate educational progress;
        4. whether the requirements of Utah Code Ann. §53G-6-206 have been met;
        5. whether the school-age child is two or more years behind the local public school's age group expectations in one or more basic skills; and
        6. whether the school-age child is receiving special education services or systematic remediation efforts.
          1. If the parent/legal guardian intentionally or recklessly fails to meet with school authorities designated in the Notice of Compulsory Education Violation, or fails to prevent the child from being absent without a valid excuse 5 or more times, in addition to the original five unexcused absences, during the remainder of the school year,
          2. If school administration has reason to believe that, after a Notice of Compulsory Education Violation is issued, the parent has failed to make a good faith effort to ensure that the school-age child receives an appropriate education.

  8. SCHOOLWIDE STRATEGIES AND INTERVENTIONS
    1. Schools are encouraged to use restorative justice programs and evidence-based interventions within a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) and Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) framework. This approach promotes positive reinforcement strategies to encourage regular attendance for all students and provides targeted interventions for students at risk of becoming chronically absent. The school shall make and document efforts to resolve a student’s absenteeism and shall include, as reasonably feasible:
      1. counseling of the student by school authorities using positive behavioral interventions and supports;
      2. identifying barriers to regular school attendance and achievement;
      3. providing academic support;
      4. teaching executive function skills, including; planning; goal setting; understanding and following multi-step directions; and self-regulation;
      5. making any necessary adjustments to the curriculum and schedule to meet special needs of the student, as determined by the school team, including administration;
      6. considering alternatives proposed by a parent;
      7. incorporating attendance in the school-age child’s course score or grade in an individualized plan the child’s parent and teacher develop;
      8. monitoring school attendance of the student;
      9. Home visits
      10. providing a student’s parent, upon request, with a list of resources available to assist the parent in resolving the student’s attendance problems;
      11. issuing a Notice of Truancy to a student who is 12 years old and in grade 7 or above, unless the school-age child is less than 12 years old;
      12. issuing a Notice of Compulsory Education Violation to the parent of a student who is in grades 1 through 6;
      13. voluntary participation in truancy mediation, if available;
      14. referral to community agencies, such as Youth Services or DCFS;
      15. Involve district support personnel in school and family meetings for additional support and resources.
      16. Attendance notifications via email or letter to inform parents/guardians of student attendance concerns.

  9. LEARNER VALIDATED PROGRAM
    1. A learner validated program is a District program that consists of eligible, enrolled students who receive instruction through an online learning program, a blended learning program, or a competency-based learning program. Utah law requires the District to document the continuing enrollment status for individual students enrolled in a learner validated program.
    2. Students enrolled in a learner validated program must log in to the course’s learning management system or otherwise make contact with the instructor at least once every ten (10) school days until the course is completed. A student who fails to do so may be withdrawn from the course and enrolled in the student’s neighborhood school.
    3. School or District staff will regularly track student logins and other evidence of student engagement and provide support to students and parents. Additional procedures and requirements for student enrollment measurements in learner validated programs may be adopted through administrative directive.

  10. SCHOOL-AGED CHILD EXEMPT FROM SCHOOL ATTENDANCE8
    1. The District may excuse a school-age child from attendance for any of the following reasons:
      1. a school-age child over 16 years old may receive a partial release from school to enter employment (work-release/internship), or attend a trade school, if the school-age child has completed grade 8; or
      2. on an annual basis, a school-age child may receive a full release from attending a public, regularly established private, or part-time school or class if the school-age child has already completed the work required for graduation from high school.
      3. If the parent or a school-age child has submitted a letter of intent to homeschool to Student Services. Please refer to 4650 - Home School Policy for more information.

1 Utah Admin. Code R277-607-2(1)(a)(b) (2025)
2 Utah Admin. Code R277-607-2(2) (2025)
3 Utah Code Ann. §53G-8-211(1)(e) (2025)
4 Utah Code Ann. §53G-6-201(11) (2025)
5 Utah Code Ann. §53G-8-211 (2025)
6 Utah Code Ann. §53G-6-203(3) (2025)
7 Utah Code Ann. §53G-6-202 (2025)
8 Utah Code Ann. §53G-6-204 (2025)

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