Attendance
Regular attendance is essential for student success. Students who are frequently absent from school miss instruction, classroom experiences, and opportunities to engage with their teachers and classmates.
Pennsylvania law and School Board policy require daily attendance. Children who turn 6 on or before September 1 must enroll in school or begin a home school program that year. Additionally, any student less than 18 must comply with the compulsory school age requirements.
An UNEXCUSED/unlawful absence is defined as an event in which a student is absent without a valid, acceptable note. A student is considered habitually truant when he or she accumulates 6 or more unlawful absences.
Reporting Absences
Absences are considered unexcused/unlawful until the district receives a written excuse explaining the absence. The excuse must be submitted within five (5) days of the absence.
Families should continue to report student absences through the SchoolMessenger SafeArrival System and provide any required written documentation within the five-day timeframe.
Learn More about Reporting Absences
Excused/Lawful Absences
Penn-Delco permits a maximum of 12 cumulative days of lawful absences verified through parental notification during the school year. This total includes up to five family vacation days.
Once a student exceeds 12 cumulative lawful absences verified through parental notification, additional absences will require an excuse from a licensed practitioner of the healing arts.
Lawful/excused absences may include circumstances such as illness, medical or therapeutic appointments, family emergencies, required court attendance, death in the family, religious holidays, approved educational trips, college visits, and other circumstances identified in Policy 204.
Unexcused/Unlawful Absences
An absence that does not meet the criteria for a lawful/excused absence under Policy 204 is considered unexcused.
A student is considered truant when they have accumulated three or more school days of unexcused absences during the current school year. A student is considered habitually truant when they have accumulated six or more school days of unexcused absences during the current school year.
Attendance Intervention Process
- 3 Unexcused Absences: When a student has been absent for three days during the school year without a lawful excuse, the district will provide written notice to the person in parental relation within 10 school days of the student's third unexcused absence. The notice will explain the consequences of habitual truancy and provide resources to support improved attendance.
- Additional Unexcused Absences: If a student incurs additional unexcused absences after the required notice and an SAIC has not already been held, district staff will offer a Student Attendance Improvement Conference (SAIC).
- Student Attendance Improvement Conference: The purpose of the SAIC is to examine the student's absences and the reasons for those absences in an effort to improve attendance, with or without additional services. The outcome of the conference is documented in a written School Attendance Improvement Plan (SAIP).
- 6 or More Unexcused Absences: A student with six or more unexcused absences is considered habitually truant. The district may take further legal action to address unexcused absences only after the scheduled SAIC has been held and the student has incurred six or more days of unexcused absences.
The purpose of the attendance improvement process is to identify and address the underlying reasons for a student's absences and work with students and families to improve attendance.