Attendance

A student may be excused from school for the following reasons*:

• Illness: Including being dismissed by school staff for health reasons.
• Professional Health Care: Visits to licensed practitioners for therapy or medical services.
• Family Emergency: Urgent family situations.
• Recovery from Accident: Healing from injuries sustained in an accident.
• Required Court Attendance: Necessary legal obligations.
• Death in the Family: Funeral observances following a loss.
• Participation in Specific Events:
  • Projects sponsored by 4-H or FFA groups (with prior written request).
  • Musical performances for national veterans' organizations (with a signed excuse).
• Religious Holidays: Observing holidays recognized by a bona fide religious group (with prior written request).
• Educational Tours or Trips: Non-school-sponsored tours or college visits (with prior documentation and approval).
• Other Urgent Reasons: Includes circumstances related to homelessness and foster care.

*Note: The District may place limits on the number and duration of some absences.

Every student absence requires a written excuse note that must be submitted to the Attendance Office (KHSattendance@kcsd.org) in the form of:

• Handwritten note from parent/guardian
• Email from parent/guardian
• Talking Points from parent/guardian
• Medical note from a licensed medical practitioner or a licensed practitioner of the healing arts

The absence note should contain ALL of the following information:

• The student’s legal name
• Student’s ID number
• Grade level
• The exact date(s) of the absence
• The reason for the absence
• Signature of parent or guardian

The excuse note must be submitted within three (3) days of the absence or the absence will be considered unlawful.

• If an excused absence note is not received within a three (3) day period following the absence, the absence will become unexcused or unlawful.
• For students under the age of 18, the absence will become unlawful.
• For students 18 or older, the absence is unexcused.
• An unlawful absence from school may result in a Student Attendance Improvement Conference (SAIC), a truancy citation or a fine imposed by the District Judge.

When a student is absent, parents must submit a written excuse within three (3) days. Any missed days shall be treated as unexcused unless a valid written excuse is received within this timeframe. 

Any absence without a valid written excuse is considered unexcused. Examples include
babysitting, waking up late, or vacations. Absences are deemed unexcused until a valid written excuse is provided within three days. Examples include:

• Employment (excluding work release)
• Oversleeping
• Missing the bus
• Babysitting
• Staying home to do school work
• Vacations that are not pre-approved

The first ten absences can be excused with a parent note. After ten (10) absences—even if some were excused with medical notes —any further absences require a medical professional’s note; parent notes will no longer be accepted.

The school day starts at 7:40 a.m. and students are expected to be in their period 1 class by 7:40 a.m. (period 2 on Thursdays).

• If a student is arriving late to school (after 7:40 a.m.), they must report to the Attendance Office (in the Main Office), sign in, and obtain an admit-to-class slip.
• A written excuse (not email) note needs to be submitted to the Attendance Office the same day.
• If a student accumulates excessive tardies to school, they may be referred to a Restorative Intervention.

We are committed to working with families to maintain strong attendance. Here’s how notifications will work:

• You’ll be contacted after any unexcused absence using the contact information in the Skyward Family Access Portal.
• After the equivalent of 3 unexcused absences, the District will issue a Notice of Violation (NOV) and offer a School Attendance Improvement Conference (SAIC).
• Ongoing concerns may lead to community program involvement or, in rare cases, legal action. (Truancy-related suspensions or transfers are not permitted.)

Families can always check current attendance in the Skyward Family Access Portal.

• If your student is absent from 1st period, we’ll send a message by 9:40 a.m.
• If your student misses one or more periods during the day, you’ll receive an update after 4:00 p.m.

The District uses an automated call and email to communicate with families about absenteeism daily. Any student who is not present to school before 9:30 a.m. will automatically receive an absence notification call and email.

If you believe that you received the call or email in error, please contact the Attendance Office at 610-444-6638, or KHSattendance@kcsd.org or by replying to the email absence communication you received.

For any planned absence of three (3) or more days, please complete the KCSD Extended Absence Form and submit to the Attendance Office no later than two (2) weeks prior to the absence.

• Extended absences can be approved up to ten (10) school days (This is not in addition to the 10 days allotted per board policy).
• The approved days will be considered excused.
• Any missed days beyond the approved days will be considered unexcused.
• Students are responsible for all assignments/assessments missed during the period of the approved extended absences.
• No planned absence will be approved during state assessments or final examinations, unless approved by the Principal.

On the morning of the early dismissal, please provide a written note (email is acceptable, KHSattendance@kcsd.org) to the Attendance Office containing the following information:

• Student’s full name
• Date of early dismissal
• Reason for early dismissal
• Signature of parent or guardian
• Grade level
• A telephone number where the parent can be contacted for verification

An email notification will be sent to the student’s bluedemons email alerting them the dismissal is confirmed. If a student has an early dismissal, but returns back to school, they must sign back into school at the Attendance Office.

Athletic teams who have an early dismissal due to transportation do not need a parent note as these dismissals are arranged through the Athletic Office.

Students who are absent from both KHS and TCHS are responsible for providing absence notes to both schools.  Time will be tracked the same way for both TCHS and KHS as noted above (cumulative minutes in class). 

Field trip forms or job shadow observation forms must be submitted to the KHS Attendance Office for approval at least 1 week in advance of the field trip/job shadow.

Students who accumulate three (3) or more unlawful absences and/or who continue to be unlawfully absent will be subject to the following:

• Referral to their school counselor and administrator
• Participation in a Student Attendance Intervention Conference (SAIC)
• A Notice of Violation (NOV)
• Court appearance with a District Judge and possible fines (student and parent/guardian)

Class attendance will be verified each period by the teacher in the electronic Gradebook attendance system. If it is determined that a student has cut a class, the teacher will submit the student’s name to the Assistant Principal who will determine if the absence is excused or unexcused and take appropriate action.

Students are expected to arrive on time and attend all of their scheduled classes and study halls. Regular attendance is an expectation for successful completion of the course. Students must make arrangements with their teachers to make-up missed school work, assignments and/or assessments.

Students will be given four minutes to pass from one class to the next. Excessive lateness to class may result in a referral for Restorative Intervention.