Attendance

Attendance Line: (602) 449-5001 (English and Spanish)

North Canyon High School Attendance Guidelines

Attendance Policies

Regular attendance is the key to much of the success a student may gain from his/her school program. Students should remain out of school only when absolutely necessary; much of classroom activity cannot be made up and the benefit of lectures, discussion and participation is lost to those who are absent. A doctor’s verification may be requested for excessive illness-related absences. 

Absence:

An absence is defined as a minimum of one missed class period per day. 

Parent Responsibilities:

Any absence due to illness, death in the family, religious observance or other unusual circumstance will be excused. Missing class to attend school activities will be excused with prior teacher and administrative approval. Parents of absent students are expected to call on the day of the absence, preferably no later than one hour after the start of school. If no contact is made to the school within 24 hours of the start of the absence, the absence will be considered unexcused. Refer to your school’s website, newsletter and/or student handbook for guidelines for reporting absences. 

Excessive Absences:

Arizona state law defines absences as excessive when the number of absent days exceeds 10 percent of the number of required attendance days (18 days) whether the absence is excused or unexcused. It is important for a student to attend class regularly to receive a passing grade. A student or parent may request counseling intervention for excessive absences by calling the school principal or designee. The principal may require documentation from a doctor to verify a medical condition when absences total more than 10 percent of the number of required attendance days. 

Chronic Illnesses:

In cases where medical documentation can be provided that indicates a diagnosis and prognosis that the student has an illness, disease, or has had an accident that interferes with regular school attendance, parents shall be in contact with their school nurse regarding the chronic health program. 

Unexcused Absence:

Full day. A full day unexcused absence is any absence from school without the prior knowledge and consent of the parent/guardian. Unexcused absence: One or more periods, Once a student is at school, absences from one or more classes that day without an acceptable excuse approved by the school will be classified as unexcused. Truant absence: Any unexcused absence is considered a truant day as defined by law. 

Permit to Leave School During School Hours:

A person picking up a student must be listed on the emergency card and show valid picture I.D. Students must check out through the attendance office prior to leaving school during school hours. Failure to do so will be a violation of the “leaving school grounds without permission” policy and the absence will be recorded as unexcused. The parent/guardian must give written or verbal approval.

Attendance Terms

Absence

A student is marked absent if they are not in their assigned class during the designated period within ten minutes of the tardy bell.

Excused Absence

An absence that is excused by a phone call from a parent/guardian by 7:00 a.m. the following morning. Student absences will also be excused for extracurricular activities coordinated by an NCHS staff member.

Truancy

Is defined as any absence that is not excused by a parent/legal guardian by 7:00 a.m. on the morning following the absence. In Infinite Campus, a truancy is indicated by the letter "U." The following are also considered truancies and subject to disciplinary action:

• Any absence without the prior knowledge and consent of the parent/guardian.

• Any absence in which a student fails to check out through the Attendance Office or the Health Center prior to leaving school.

• Leaving the classroom without the teacher's permission.

• Forged or unauthorized parent/guardian phone calls.

• Students who arrive to class after 10 minutes into the period without a pass from an NCHS staff member.

Tardy

A student who arrives to class after the tardy bell. Students will be marked tardy up until 10 minutes after the tardy bell. Students who arrive 11 minutes or more into the class period without a pass will be marked absent. In Infinite Campus, a tardy is indicated by the letter "T."

Excessive Absences

A student who is absent, excused or unexcused, more than 9 times in a semester. Students with excessive truancies are subject to disciplinary action. Students with excessive absences may be placed on an attendance contract, lose credit in classes, and will need to provide medical or court documentation to excuse further absences. 

Chronic Illness

Frequent absences that result from a medically certified recurring health condition which may permit the student to receive modified instructional services and exempts the student from the 9-day excessive absence provisions. The processing of a chronic illness status is coordinated by the nurse. Please contact the nurse at (602) 449-5003.

Permit to Leave

Students leaving campus during the school day must have their parent/legal guardian's permission and must check out through the front office. Students who check in with the attendance office will be issued a permit to leave campus. Failure to get a permit to leave will result in the absence being marked unexcused. Per our school district policy, parents/legal guardians are required to show picture identification before being allowed to remove a student from campus