When is an Absence Excused?

When is an Absence Excused?
Below are some examples of excused absences; for full details please reference the Hillside Parent Student Handbook

Medical: Partial day excused absence with a doctor's note.
Religious Holy Day: The student is observing a recognized religious holy day. The holy day must be published on a religious calendar.
Court Appearance: The student is involved in a mandated court proceeding or is participating in an activity related to a mandated court proceeding.

What happens when a student misses one day of school, for any reason?

A student must work twice as hard the next day to catch up on missed information and missed homework. The U.S. Department of Education maintains that for every missed day of school, it takes a student two days to catch up.
A teacher loses class time by having to teach one student something the entire class was taught the day before, which then affects lesson plans for the next day. This impacts the entire class, not just the absent student. Now multiply this by a class of 25 over the course of a year and it impacts even the highest achievers.
A school loses funding from the State. This could affect the ability to purchase supplies for the classroom, such as textbooks and updated computer software. Multiply this by 500 students, and it could mean the difference between hiring or laying off staff, buying new equipment, or funding a new program.
A community loses valuable resources at a huge cost. Students who miss school challenge our community with immeasurable lost time and countless millions of dollars in human services for “repair work” in areas such as crime, counseling, and drugs.

When it comes to school, students who miss school . . . miss out.

They miss out on opportunities to learn, build lasting friendships, and develop the skills and attitudes needed to become good citizens and valued employees. There is a very strong connection between student attendance and student performance in school.