Attendance Policy

(P. 11-13 of Student Handbook)

Attendance/Pupil Absence Notification

If a student is going to be absent, a parent or guardian is encouraged to contact the school on the morning of the absence at 978-441-4420.  If the parent or guardian does not contact the school, they will receive an automated phone message on the same day informing them that their child is not in school and requesting a return phone call to confirm their absence.  If this automated message is received in the evening, the parent or guardian is to call the school the next morning.  In addition, if a student has missed five unexcused absences in a school year or two (2) or more periods in five (5) or more school days in a school year and said absences are unexcused, an automated phone message will be sent home instructing the parent/guardian to contact their son/daughter's Assistant Principal or Dean of Students to discuss the situation and jointly develop action steps for student attendance.

To support good academic performance, students are held to the following Attendance Policy Standards and Procedures:

Perfect Attendance:

Students need to be in the building every day in order to achieve and be recognized as having perfect attendance for the school year.  Excused absences are still considered an absence as it relates to achieving perfect attendance.  The only exception to this would be approved educational exams (college entrance/placement exams) that require proper documentation and pre-approved college visits.  Other educational related events causing a student to miss school will be addressed on a case by case basis.

Excused Absences:

We believe consistent school attendance is essential for students to reach their full potential. For that reason, all non-essential appointments (i.e., dentist/orthodontic appointments, eye exams, routine doctor visits) should occur outside of the normal school day. Absences may be excused for the following reasons: death in the immediate family, emergency doctor's visits or illness documented by medical personnel, hospitalizations, religious holidays, legal matters, approved college visits, technical/licensure related exams, military visits, unit visits, unusual or mitigating circumstances, or other matters deemed educational by the Assistant Superintendent/Principal or designee. Students requesting that an absence be excused must submit the appropriate written documentation to the Main Office. This documentation will be forwarded to the Senior Assistant Principal, Assistant Principal or Dean of Students, who are responsible for granting excused absences. Excused absence documentation should be turned into the Main Office by the end of the marking period in which the absence occurred or within a three-week timeframe whichever is longer. Any exceptions to this will be determined by the Assistant Superintendent/ Principal or his/her designee.

College Visitation:

Juniors and seniors may be allowed two (2) excused college visitations per school year. All college visitations require pre-approval from the Assistant Superintendent/ Principal or their designee and will not impact perfect attendance. The student must be passing all subjects including their technical program area. Verification of attendance at this appointment must be submitted to one of the Assistant Principals or Dean of Students following the absence (i.e., college letterhead signifying a statement of attendance with an official signature). Failure to comply with the above regulation will result in an unexcused absence.

Unexcused Absences:

Absences considered not excused include, but are not limited to: truancy, vacations other than during vacation periods, routine dental and medical appointments, and sickness not documented by a physician.

Unexcused Absences per quarter:

During the 2024-2025 school year, students are limited to three (3) unexcused absences per quarter. Students exceeding this limit will not receive academic credit for all courses for the quarter. (See Credits and Grading for additional details.) For this reason, an automated phone message is sent to all students and parents/guardians once a student receives their third unexcused absence for the quarter.

Students who receive ‘No Credit’ for the quarter due to attendance will be considered ineligible for athletics and participation in the Cooperative Education Program. 

Unexcused Absences Per Year:

Students exceeding 12 days of unexcused absences for the year may not receive credit for all courses for the year.