Attendance, Absences, and Truancy
Administrative Policy 8.13 – State law requires all children between the ages of six and eighteen to attend school full time. A child who has turned 18 must attend until the end of the term, quarter, or semester following his/her 18th birthday. The State of Wisconsin and the Milwaukee Board of School Directors have set policies for student absences. They are summarized below.
When to Keep a Child Home from School
School is important, but sick children need to stay home. Please refer to the list of symptoms on this page that may indicate a contagious disease and the need to keep a child home from school. Guidelines for COVID-19 are continually changing and may vary depending on whether a child is vaccinated. A healthcare provider can provide up-to-date information. When a child’s condition improves or health guidelines have been met, children can return to school. Provide the school with current telephone numbers to reach you or other authorized adults in case your child becomes ill or injured.
Excused Absences
It is your responsibility as a parent/guardian to notify the school as soon as possible any time your child will be absent. As a parent/guardian, you have the right to excuse your child from school for any reason for up to 10 days per year. You must submit a written excuse before the child is absent. Students may complete class work and take examinations missed during excused and unexcused absences without being penalized for their absence.
Truancy
Administrative Policy 8.14 – A child is considered habitually truant if he or she misses a total of five full or partial days without a valid excuse during a school semester. The school has the authority to reject excuses that do not appear to be substantiated. Your child is considered truant if:
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He/she is absent for all or part of the school day and you, as the parent/guardian, have not contacted the school with a legal excuse as noted under the section Excused Absences.
- He/she attends school irregularly but often enough that he/she is not in violation of the state laws that require children to attend school.
If your child has been diagnosed with a contagious disease or if any of the following conditions exist, please keep your child home from school.
- Fever (temperature 100.4˚ or higher)
- Blistery rash
- Chills
- Fatigue
- Frequent cough
- Headache
- Shortness of breath/difficulty breathing
- Muscle or body aches
- Nasal congestion or runny nose
- Recent loss of taste and smell
- Sore throat
- Vomiting or diarrhea
- COVID-19 symptoms
The following are considered excusable absences. All other absences are marked as unexcused absences.
- Personal illness
- Medical/dental appointments
- Funerals
- Required legal appearances
- Driver examinations
- Designated religious holidays
- Family emergencies in which the student is needed to ensure family well-being
- Educational or district-sponsored activities approved by the school principal
- All school suspensions, including any during the expulsion process, for up to 15 days
Parent Notification of Absence
It is your responsibility to contact the school if your child is going to be absent. If your child is not in school and you have not contacted the school, a phone call will be made to you. If the contact is unsuccessful, the school will attempt to reach you by other means before the end of the second day after receiving a report of an unexcused absence.
You will also be notified if your child has had five unexcused absences in a semester. The notification will be in writing and sent by certified mail or first class mail. Parents may be notified simultaneously by electronic communication. The notice will ask you to meet with a school official within five days. (A five-day extension for the meeting date is allowed.) If you fail to meet with school officials within 10 days of notification, the school may take steps to impose penalties on you for failing to correct the truancy problem. These penalties include enforcement of state statutes and municipal codes. If your child has a truancy problem, contact the school for assistance.
Truants may receive municipal citations. Persons who engage in or cause habitual truancy may be referred to the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s office for prosecution.