Attendance and Truancy

Parents/guardians are required to report an absence, late arrival or early departure from school. Students are not allowed to report themselves absent. 

There are two ways to report your child's attendance:

• Use the PowerSchool Attendance Monitor. This method does not require an additional absence note.*
  
                   How To Report an Absence with PowerSchool
   
• Call the school's attendance line. Parent(s)/guardian(s) are expected to report a student's absence by reporting it online using the PowerSchool Parent Portal; If for any reason they are not able to report the absence online, a call is needed.  This method will require parents/guardians to send a physical absence note to school within three (3) days. The absence will be recorded as unexcused unless a parent/guardian supplies a physical note to the school’s main office within three days of the absence. The note should include:
  • Student name
  • Student ID Number
  • Date of absence
  • Reason
  • Parent/Guardian name and signature

NOTE: Emails are no longer an accepted form of attendance reporting. Emailing your child’s teacher is not an approved method for reporting absences, late arrivals or early departures.  Only utilizing the PowerSchool Parent Portal or calling the attendance office and submitting a note are approved methods for reporting an attendance matter. 

If a student’s absence is not reported, the school will contact a parent or guardian at home or at work so the student is accounted for. If a parent has not reported the absence using the PowerSchool Parent Portal or called and submitted a note within three days, the days missed will be considered unexcused.

*When a doctor's note is available, it should be dropped off in the main office upon the student's return to school. Doctor's notes should not be emailed. 

Timing

Parents are requested to call or report online no later than 15 minutes after the start of the school day on the day of their child’s attendance matter (see times below). An answering machine has been provided for your convenience. 

Educators in the Methacton School District are dedicated to collaborating with families to tackle attendance challenges that can hinder student involvement and academic achievement. Together, we will strive to find solutions to attendance issues by working closely with families, district staff, and community organizations.

NOTE: Students and families can be referred to the Office of Children and Youth (OCY) with any additional Unexcused/ Unlawful absences after the SAIP meeting

Student Absences - 10 Consecutive Days

Per 24 P.S. §§ 13-1326 – 1354; Students who are absent from a school for 10 consecutive school days shall be dropped from the active membership roll unless the school is provided with evidence that the absence is legal or compulsory attendance prosecution is being pursued. If the student has an IEP, schools will follow procedures required by IDEA and 22 Pa Code Chapter 14 when disenrolling a student with an IEP. 

Students absent for 10 consecutive school days are automatically withdrawn from school on the eleventh day and must be re-enrolled should they return. The building principal and the office of Pupil Services should be notified prior to the absence if there are extenuating circumstances. 
 

Students who are excessively late (10 or more occurrences) to school, unless there are extenuating circumstances, will be considered truant. 

Educational trips should align with scheduled holidays, breaks, and in-service days. The school district has a procedure for parents/guardians to request permission for educational trips for the school year. It's important to note that extended absences may impact a student's grades, as certain class activities like discussions, labs, and group work cannot be replicated. Teachers are not obligated to give assignments to students on vacation in advance. 

Educational trips are limited to six (6) days per year, and families must complete and present to the building principal a "Request for Prearranged Absence" form (Spanish form). Telephone requests will not be considered. Families who present the request for prearranged absence less than six (6) full school days prior to the requested absence may be denied the privilege of having the absence considered excused. 
 

Absence: Absence is defined as a student's nonattendance on a day school is in session. 

Compulsory School Age: The period from when a child's parents elect to have the child enter school, which shall be no later than age six (6) until age eighteen (18). ( Compulsory Age) 

Excused Absence: Excused absence refers to an absence for legal reasons. Legal absences may be classified into two groups: nonattendance due to unpreventable causes and nonattendance due to other legal reasons. Excuse notes will need to be received within three (3) days of the absence.

A student's absence is considered excused for the following reasons:

• Illness
• Family emergency
• Death of a family member
• Medical or dental appointments
• Authorized school activities
• Religious holidays
• Court appearances

Unexcused Absence: School policy defines an unexcused absence as one that occurs when no excuse note from a parent or guardian has been provided to the school.  

A student's absence is considered unexcused (regardless of excuse note) for the following reasons: 

• Oversleeping
• Missing the bus
• Family vacations without prior approval 

Tardiness: Absence of a student at the beginning of any morning or afternoon session, provided the student is in attendance before the close of that session. 

Excused Tardiness: Absence of a student at the beginning of any morning or afternoon session due to any of the reasons that may be excused for a full-day absence. 

Unexcused Tardiness: Lateness for any reason that does not qualify as "Excused Tardiness."