Attendance
Please review School Board Policy #204 and the Student Handbook & Code of Conduct for all attendance related information.
Absences/Tardies (Lates to school):
A legal absence/tardy will be granted for the following reasons: illness, obtaining professional health care or therapy rendered by a licensed practitioner of the healing arts; quarantine; death in the family, impassable roads, inclement weather, home emergencies directly related to the student and exceptionally urgent reasons. A legal absence/tardy will not be granted for oversleeping, missing the bus or serving as a caregiver for adults or children. For an absence or tardy to be considered excused you must provide one (1) of the following within three (3) days of the student’s return to school:
- Send an email to attendance@bcths.com.
- Fill out a blue excuse card (absence form) and turn it into the PPS Office.
- Provide a handwritten note to the PPS Office.
- Provide a note from a licensed medical professional or licensed professional of the healing arts.
*The email/note must include the student's name, the date(s) of the absence/tardy and describe the reason for the absence(s)/tardy.
**Habitual tardiness without a valid excuse will be treated with the same seriousness as an unexcused or unlawful absence with similar consequences. Ten (10) unexcused tardies will be counted as one (1) unlawful absence.
***Once your child has 10 or more cumulative absences (excused & unexcused), a written excuse signed by a licensed medical provider or licensed practitioner of the healing arts will be required for all absences moving forward or the absence will be considered unlawful.
College/Secondary Institution Visits
Juniors and seniors may visit colleges/post-secondary institutions a maximum of three days (3) per year. Absences will be excused with an official letter on the college/post-secondary school letterhead.
Early Dismissals
Students may be excused from attendance during the regular school day upon the receipt of a written request submitted by the parent/guardian to the Pupil Services Office. Requests for early dismissal of a student must be submitted no later than 8:30am. The request must contain the student’s name; date of the early dismissal; time of the requested dismissal; reason for the dismissal; signature of parent/guardian; and home/business telephone number of parent/guardian. BCTHS staff may take steps necessary to verify the request.
The parent/guardian must come into the school with a photo ID to pick up their child for early dismissal. If the student will be driving themselves, the student will not be dismissed until school staff have verified with the parent/guardian via the phone that their child may self-sign out.
Educational Trips
We do not grant approval for students to miss school for vacation purposes. For this reason, parents/guardians are advised to schedule family vacations during holiday and/or summer periods. Any absence from school for vacation purposes will be considered unexcused and illegal. An exception is for trips that are considered educational and have received prior written approval by the administration. Please fill out the Educational Request Trip Form and submit it to the PPS Office no later than 2 weeks prior to the trip.
Each request to excuse a student from school attendance for an educational trip will be individually reviewed and evaluated to determine if the trip serves an educational purpose. The student’s academic achievement and prior attendance record will also be considered.
If approval is granted prior to the trip, the student’s absence will be excused. If prior approval is not granted, the absence will be classified as an unlawful absence. If a student’s absence exceeds the approved number of days, those additional absences will be classified as unlawful.
BCTHS EDUCATIONAL TRIP REQUEST FORM
Questions related to attendance should be directed to attendance@bcths.com