Why does Livonia have an attendance policy?

New York State Department of Education mandates that all districts develop an attendance policy, the purpose being to increase student attendance. Recognizing that consistent school attendance, academic success and school completion have a positive correlation; attendance must now be recorded for each block of the student's day.

Does Livonia have a high rate of absences for students?

No, Livonia consistently has between 95% to 97% students in attendance any given day.

How is an absence recorded?

Absences are either recorded as excused or unexcused. A student's permanent record or transcript will only show the number of absences or tardies, not the category or reason for the absence. No one but the district will know if an absence is excused or unexcused.

So why does Livonia record the absences as excused or unexcused?

Part of the attendance regulations by New York State mandates that schools work to improve attendance. The only way schools can improve attendance will be if we know why students are absent. Once we know why, we can work to improve attendance.

What is an excused absence?

An excused absence is any time a student is absent due to a personal illness and/or medical appointment documented by a doctor, family bereavement, religious observation, court appearance, college visits and military obligations. In addition, school related absences will also be excused, such as field trips, music lessons, and/or the school nurse excuses the student from class due to illness.

When my child is sick, do I need a doctor's note every time so it is an excused absence?

No, if your child is ill, we expect you to keep him/her home and notify the nurse at 346-4000 extension 1018. A doctor's note may be requested if a student is absent for a substantial number of consecutive days or has chronic absences due to illnesses.

What happens if my child misses part of a class due to an appointment?

These absences will initially be recorded as unexcused. Once we receive documentation that the student was at a medical or legal appointment, the absence will be changed to excused.

How many times can a student be absent before they may lose course credit?

Any student with 14 or more unexcused absences in a full year class may lose credit, remembering that most classes meet every other day. For half-year classes or quarter classes, the unexcused absences will be prorated.  Compating this policy to the 8th grade schedule, a student would have had more than 26 unexcused absences to lose credit. Very few students find themselves in jeopardy of losing credit.

Will I know if my child might lose credit due to absences?

Absolutely, there is an intervention plan in place where the parent will be notified almost every time a student is absent from class. Parents will receive verbal and written communication and may be asked to meet with school administrators.  There will always be numerous interventions and contacts made with families and the student before a student loses credit.

What will happen if my child loses course credit?

A letter will be sent home to the parent and student notifying the student that they have lost credit. The student will be expected to continue to attend class to enable the student to be eligible to attend summer school.

When can a student attend summer school?

Any student who loses course credit may qualify to attend summer school for that course if they have a minimum final grade of 55 and have no more than 17 unexcused absences. If a student does not meet these requirements, they will repeat the class the following school year.