TARDY POLICY

ABSENCES/ATTENDANCE

ATTENDANCE PROGRAM

TRUANCY POLICY

TARDY POLICY

Every student must be in his/her designated class room by the time the final bell rings, or that student will be considered tardy.  Being late to class is a disruption and interferes with the learning of the entire class.  School begins at 7:49 A.M.  Parents need to call the school office to excuse a child's tardy before she/he arrives at school or sign the child in at the Attendance Office.    The tardy policy each semester is the following:

• Tardy #1:               Verbal warning
• Tardy #2:               Parent Contact
• Tardy #3 & every tardy after:  Referral to the office with appropriate consequences assigned.
  
  

ABSENCES/ATTENDANCE

Each student is expected to be present and punctual for all classes throughout the school year.  When a student is absent parents must call the 24 hour attendance line (602)449-5301 by 10:00 A.M. each day the student is absent in order for the absence to be excused.  If an absence is not excused by 10:00 A.M., it becomes a truancy.

• If a student arrives to school before 8:10 A.M. they are considered tardy.
• If a student arrives to school at 8:10 A.M. or later they are considered absent from 1st hour.
  

Letters and E-Mails from parents are not accepted to excuse a students Tardy or Absence.  The Tardy or Absence will remain unexcused until the parent calls the 24 hour attendance line, calls the Attendance Office or excuses it in person at the Attendance Office.

ATTENDANCE PROGRAM (C.U.T.S.)

Vista Verde is using C.U.T.S. (Court Unified Truancy Suppression Program) through the Maricopa County Juvenile Court Center.  Its primary purpose is to improve school attendance.

Arizona State law 15-803 requires that children must attend school etween the ages of 6 to 16 years.  Parents are required to ensure that their children attend school during school hours.  A child who is habitually truant or who has excessive absences may be issued a citation to court for violation of this law.  Absences may be consedered excessive when the number of absent days exceeds ten percent of the number of required attendance days.  Paradise Valley Unified School District requires 180 days of school attendance for the 2009-2010 school year.

Chronic illness and other documentation from a physician will be accepted as an excused absence and wil not be considered an excessive absence or truancy.  It is, therefore, important that all documentation for illness or medical appointments be submitted to the nurse and Attendance Office.

TRUANCY POLICY

Students will receive consequences for truancies in accordance with Governing Board policy.

A student is truant if she/he:

• Is absent from school without prior permission from the parents.
• Is absent from class without permission.
• Leaves school without signing out in the Attendance Office.
• Comes to school but does not attend classes.
• Obtains a pass to bo to a certain place and does not report there.
• Reports to a designated place but does not return to class in a timely manner.
• Becomes ill and goes home or stays in the restroom instead of reporting to the nurse's office.
• Is absent more than 10% (or 18 days) of the school year without a doctor's note (parents cannot excuse a child after the child has missed 10% (or 18 days) of the school days; at that point, only a doctor's note can excuse the child).
  
  
  

Lisa Potter

Vista Verde Middle School

Records Secretary

Phone:  (602) 449-5300

Attendance:  (602) 449-5301

Fax:  (602) 449-5305