LZHS Attendance FAQs
LZHS Attendance FAQs For Parents/Guardians
Attendance is key for academic success in school. Regular attendance can help build good habits as students mature and get ready for life after high school. Additionally, regular attendance has been shown over and over to be one of the biggest indicators for student success. Many students find it much more difficult to learn when they are not present in class. If a student misses 9 or more days per semester or a total of 18 or more absences (excused or unexcused) they are considered chronically absent by the state (Illinois State Board of Education, ISBE). The chronic absenteeism rates play a factor in the overall rating of the school and district. Attendance is everyone’s responsibility and we ask that everyone encourage their student(s) to be in school as much as possible. In the FAQ below, we will share common questions surrounding why attendance matters, and the procedures for informing the school of a student absence.
What is chronic absenteeism?
A student is considered chronically absent when they miss 18 or more days of school (10%) of the total school days in a year. Absences are counted towards that total regardless of whether the absence is considered unexcused and/or excused, according to ISBE. Students who are chronically absent tend to struggle more academically than their peers and are more likely to drop out of school.
Why are school ratings important for our school community?
Higher school ratings can help with staff retention and recruitment. Many prospective teachers and other staff will be drawn to work in a highly rated school/district. The quality of the schools in a district can additionally have a significant impact on home values. Homes in areas with high-performing schools tend to have higher property values than those in areas with lower-performing schools. This is because families with school-aged children are often willing to pay a premium for access to quality education.
How do I go about reporting my student(s) absence(s) to the school?
There are two ways to report a student absence. First, the attendance office can be called at (847) 438-5162. Second, the parent/guardian can submit an absence through the ParentVUE app. *NOTE: Parent/Guardian(s) please do NOT share your login information with your student.
To report an absence through ParentVUE, follow the steps below:
- Login to ParentVUE
- Select ATTENDANCE on the left-hand side of the screen
- Select Report Absence on the right-hand side of screen
- Follow the prompts provided and select SAVE
If I report an absence for my student, does that automatically mean the absence is excused?
No. The state has a list of reasons that are permissible for an absence to be considered excused. These can be found in section 2.20 Student Absences of the Parent-Student Handbook. Click here to access the Parent-Student Handbook.
There are three types of unexcused absence codes that parent/guardians will be able to see on their ParentVUE app:
- UNV (Unverified, student is marked absent from class without parent/guardian call or ParentVUE request)
- U (Unexcused, put in by an administrator or the attendance office as a result of a parent/guardian call or ParentVUE request)
- V (Vacation, requires a pre-planned absence form)
- All other codes will be considered excused
From ISBE (Illinois State Board of Education): Can a student choose to utilize one of the five allowable mental health days and go home after they have arrived at school?
No. A child missing part of a day for mental health reasons would not count as one of the student's five allowable mental or behavioral health days under Public Act 102-0266 because these are contemplated as full-day absences from school.
Students cannot be required to provide a doctor's note and must be given the opportunity to make up any schoolwork missed when using one of the five allotted mental health days. Allowing this time to be used incrementally can create scenarios where students arrive late to school or depart early or repeatedly skip the same class under the protections granted to mental health days. This would impose a burden on districts to track students' mental health time used, may delay referral of students to appropriate school personnel for mental health supports, and raises questions as to when a student's makeup work would be expected to be completed.
With this said, a child missing part of a day for mental health reasons will, in many cases, qualify as an excused absence. The definition of "valid cause” for absence in Section 26-2a includes “illness, including the mental or behavior health of the student,” “attendance at a verified medical or therapeutic appointment,” and “such other circumstances which cause reasonable concern to the parent for the mental, emotional, or physical health or safety of the student.” See 105 ILCS 5/26-2a. A student’s request to miss a single class on an as-needed basis for mental health reasons could potentially qualify under any of these categories for valid cause for absence, subject to the district’s application of its own absenteeism and truancy policy.
What happens if I take a vacation during the school year?
The absence will be coded with a V for vacation and the absence will be considered unexcused. The State of Illinois does not count vacation days as an excused absence. There is no obligation for teachers to prepare all missed work in advance of a family vacation. Additionally, families should complete a pre-planned absence form so that school staff may plan for the absence. Click here to access the LZHS absence form.
What are some common parent calls that are considered unexcused (U)?
Oversleeping, car trouble, missing the bus, students forgetting their iPad at home, leaving early for work, checking on a pet, checking on a family member, club sports events, leaving after a standardized test without a valid excuse, and similar reasons are all considered unexcused absences.
What is the procedure for having my student leave during the day?
If your student is a Junior or Senior, parent/guardian(s) can fill out an off-campus permission form and students can leave on their own. If the student does not have an off-campus permission form on file, or the student is a freshman or sophomore, they must be released to a parent or guardian. The parent/guardian picking up their student must come into the security vestibule and show proper identification to security in order for their student to be released to them.
What are potential consequences for accruing multiple periods or days of absence?
If students accrue multiple periods or days of absence (unexcused/unverified), they can expect to lose privileges. These can include the ability to scan into resource spaces (during study halls, open periods, or lunch) or leaving the building for off-campus privileges. Additionally, students may receive detentions to serve in the Deans’ Office and/or be placed on social probation.
Can I call my student out if they are currently serving consequences related to absences?
But for exceptional circumstances (i.e., medical appointments, illness), students must serve consequences or interventions during the assigned windows. If students do not serve/show up for assigned consequence windows, there may be alternative/more stringent consequences applied.