Attendance Policy

The Rush-Henrietta Central School District is committed to providing students with the opportunity to attend a safe, inclusive, equitable and orderly school environment where they can receive a quality educational program. School attendance is both a right and a responsibility. Regular, on-time attendance also supports student belonging, academic progress, relationships with peers and school staff, participation in school activities, and access to instruction, meals, counseling, health services, interventions, enrichment, and other school and community resources. 

The Rush-Henrietta Board of Education, in partnership with administrators, teachers, other staff members and parents/guardians, works to ensure that all students meet or exceed New York State Learning Standards. For purposes of this policy, references to “parent/guardian” include persons in parental relation as defined by New York law, where applicable. School and community members who participate in the education of children recognize that consistent school attendance, academic success, and school completion have a positive correlation. When attendance concerns arise, the District’s first response is to partner with the student and family to understand the reason for the concern, identify and address barriers, and connect the student to appropriate supports. At Rush-Henrietta, we want every student and family to know: You Belong Here. This message reflects the District’s commitment to welcoming, inclusive school communities where students feel safe, valued, connected, and engaged.

In accordance with Education Law sections 3205 and 3210, Commissioner’s Regulation 8 NYCRR § 104.1, and Board of Education Policy 5100, Student Attendance, this Comprehensive Attendance Policy establishes procedures for maintaining accurate attendance records, reviewing attendance patterns, and developing effective intervention strategies to improve student attendance. Therefore, the Board adopts this comprehensive attendance policy to meet the following objectives:

• Maintain adequate attendance records for each of our school-aged students in grades K-12.
• Promote regular attendance by using Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), restorative and relationship-centered practices, and proactive family engagement to help students feel connected, supported, and ready to participate in school.
• Review general attendance of all students for the purpose of early identification of patterns of absence, tardiness, and early departure (“ATEDs”) that may affect student learning, belonging, well-being, or access to supports and the implementation of improvement and/or intervention strategies.
• Establish a practical mechanism for timely, respectful, two-way communication with parents/guardians to confirm student safety, share attendance expectations, understand barriers, and support improved attendance.
• Use attendance data at the building, district, and subgroup levels to identify patterns, monitor the effectiveness of supports and/or interventions, and promote equitable access to resources.
• Verify that individual students are complying with Education Law in relation to compulsory attendance.

Students of Compulsory Attendance Age

Minors who turn six years old on or before December 1 in any school year must receive full-time instruction from the first day that school is in session in September of such school year. Minors who turn six years old after December 1 of a school year must receive full-time instruction from the first day of school in the following September. All children must remain in attendance until the last day of the school year in which they reach the age of 16. Students who turn 16 years of age on or after July 1 of any school year must attend up to and including the last day of instruction of that current school year (§3205).

Students Beyond Compulsory Attendance Age

Students who are beyond compulsory attendance age may still attend school and continue working toward graduation if they have not yet earned a high school diploma and are still eligible to attend under New York law. Eligibility may include students who live in the district, students experiencing homelessness, and students with disabilities who may have additional rights to services as provided by law. Regular attendance remains essential for earning course credit, meeting graduation requirements, maintaining progress toward a diploma, and accessing school supports and services.

When a student who is beyond compulsory attendance age has ongoing attendance concerns, the District will continue to make efforts to support the student’s engagement and progress toward graduation. However, a student who is beyond compulsory attendance age may be dropped from enrollment if the student has been absent for 20 consecutive school days and the District has followed the procedures required by Education Law § 3202(1-a).

These procedures include written notice to the student and the parent/guardian, an informal conference, and consideration of whether reasonable changes to the student’s educational program would support the student’s return to school or continued progress toward graduation. The student and parent/guardian must also receive notice of the student’s right to re-enroll if otherwise eligible.

Kindergarten Attendance

Kindergarten attendance is not mandatory under New York State law. However, once a child is enrolled in the District’s kindergarten program, the child shall be subject to the attendance requirements of this policy and to all related District attendance procedures, interventions, and supports in the same manner as students of compulsory school age, unless and until the parent/guardian provides written notice to the District withdrawing the child from kindergarten enrollment.

Language Access

The District will provide attendance-related communication in a manner that is accessible to parents/guardians. When a parent/guardian requires language assistance, the District will provide appropriate interpretation and/or translation services so that the parent/guardian can understand attendance expectations, notices, concerns, available supports, and any required meetings or next steps. Plain-language summaries and important attendance communications should be translated or interpreted consistent with applicable law, regulation, and District procedures.

Attendance Clerks

All schools have a designated attendance clerk whose responsibilities are to record, verify, and track student attendance within the building and students receiving home instruction, tutoring, or other approved instructional services outside the regular classroom setting. Attendance clerks support accurate attendance records, timely family communication, and early identification of attendance concerns.

Automated attendance notification calls are sent for students in grades K–12 who are absent and for whom the school has not received parent/guardian notification. Calls will be issued as soon as practicable, and no later than midday. If notification has not been received through written, verbal, or other district-approved means, attendance clerks will contact the parent/guardian by phone or in writing to verify the absence. All outreach must be respectful, safety-focused, and designed to confirm the student’s whereabouts, determine the reason for the absence, and identify any needed supports. Additional attendance clerk responsibilities include: 

• recording an overall daily attendance code into the building’s Student Information System (SIS);
• providing reports to the principal or designee to assist in monitoring and tracking student attendance consistent with District procedures;
• using tutoring timesheets or other District-approved documentation to record attendance for students receiving tutoring, home instruction, or other approved instructional services; and
• notifying the building principal or designee and, as appropriate, the school counselor, social worker, psychologist, nurse, case manager, or attendance/MTSS team when attendance cannot be verified or a concerning pattern of ATEDs emerges.

Teachers

Teachers help support regular attendance by creating welcoming, engaging, and culturally responsive classroom environments; building positive relationships with students; communicating concerns promptly; and participating in school-based problem-solving when attendance patterns affect learning or engagement.

Teacher attendance responsibilities include:

• verifying daily attendance in each class and communicating student attendance to the building’s attendance clerk;
• submitting individual student attendance electronically for grades K-6;
• submitting period attendance electronically for grades 7-12;
• taking attendance at the beginning of each class in buildings where students change classes;
• updating attendance records as changes occur and entering attendance into the Student Information System;
• reporting class absences consistent with building procedures when a student misses class while present in the building; and
• contacting families and collaborating with appropriate staff when patterns of absence begin to emerge, consistent with building procedures.

Building Administrators and Support Staff

Building principals or designees are responsible for ensuring that attendance procedures are implemented consistently within the school, including reviewing attendance data, coordinating school-based interventions, and ensuring timely communication with parents/guardians.

School counselors, social workers, psychologists, nurses, case managers, teachers, and other support staff may participate in attendance-related problem solving through MTSS, attendance teams, student support teams, CSE/504 teams, or other building-based structures. Their role is to help identify barriers to attendance, connect students and families with appropriate supports, and monitor progress.

Where attendance concerns may be related to disability, chronic health needs, mental or behavioral health needs, homelessness, foster care, language access, bullying, harassment, transportation, food insecurity, family crisis, caregiving responsibilities, or other barriers, staff will coordinate with appropriate District personnel and support processes.

Attendance Verification

The attendance clerk will distribute or make available a list of all students who have been found to be absent or tardy from school each day. On a daily basis, teachers will check this list and notify the attendance clerk of any discrepancies. The teacher(s) and attendance clerk will work together to determine the reason for the absence or tardiness. 

If the attendance clerk and teacher(s) cannot verify a student’s attendance, the building principal or designee will be notified. In grades K-9, this notification will take place immediately. The principal or designee will determine any additional steps needed to confirm the student’s location and communicate with the parent/guardian.

Excuses

A written note is required for each absence, late arrival, or early dismissal. The note must provide a reason for the absence, late arrival, or early dismissal and must be signed and dated by the student’s parent/guardian. If the parent/guardian does not provide a written note, verbal communication from the parent/guardian will serve as an acceptable form of notification. In this case, the attendance clerk will record the date, name of caller, and reason provided during the telephone conversation. 

Any absence, late arrival, or early dismissal for which the parent/guardian has not provided a valid excuse will be recorded as unexcused. Written notification from the Attendance Office will be sent to the parent/guardian regarding the need to verify the reason for the absence. Written excuses and records of verbal excuses will be kept on file for one year or as otherwise required by applicable records retention requirements.

The District may require documentation from a licensed medical provider for students with health-related attendance concerns. Any request for medical or other documentation should be reasonable, individualized, and implemented in a manner that does not create unnecessary barriers for students with chronic health needs, disabilities, mental or behavioral health needs, or other protected circumstances.

Both excused and unexcused absences may affect a student’s access to instruction and supports. Therefore, patterns of absences, tardiness, or early departures may result in supportive outreach and intervention regardless of whether individual absences are excused or unexcused.

Late Arrivals/Early Dismissals  

Students in grades 7-12 who arrive late to school are required to sign in at the Attendance Office. For students in grades pre-K-6, the parent/guardian must sign the student in at the Attendance Office or Main Office.

In those buildings where students change classes, the attendance clerk will provide the student with a pass to present to the teacher upon arrival to class. The pass will be dated with the time noted and signed by the attendance clerk, and will include a reason for the student’s late arrival. The time of arrival will be entered into the Student Information System (SIS).

Students in grades 10-12 who must leave early from school must sign out at the Attendance Office. Parents/Guardians must be contacted to verify the reason for the early departure and authorize the student’s release, unless the school has already received parent/guardian notification consistent with district procedures. For students in grades K-9, the parent/guardian must sign the student out at the Attendance Office or Main Office. The time of departure will be entered into the SIS.

Late arrivals and early departures reduce access to instructional time, school routines, services, and opportunities for connection. Repeated late arrivals or early departures will be reviewed as part of the District’s ATED monitoring process and may result in family outreach, problem-solving, and supports.

Student release procedures must be consistent with District safety protocols, including verification that the person requesting release is authorized by the parent/guardian, except as otherwise permitted by law or emergency procedures.

Student Information System (SIS)

The Rush-Henrietta Central School District uses the SchoolTool Student Information System by Mindex Technologies, Inc. to record and track daily and period student attendance. The District will periodically confirm that SIS coding, reporting, and data practices align with current state reporting requirements and District procedures.

Monroe One BOCES configures an automated backup of the SIS on a daily basis. All data files in the SIS, including the attendance data, are retained for six years, or as otherwise required by applicable records retention, data security, and backup procedures. The District will maintain attendance records consistent with applicable law, regulation, records retention requirements, and District data security procedures.

SIS system documentation, user manuals, training, and support are supplied by the District’s Office of Information Services. Attendance data will be used not only for required recordkeeping and state reporting, but also to support timely identification of student needs, district-level trend review, and evaluation of attendance interventions.

Daily and Period Attendance Registers

Daily and period attendance registers will be maintained in print or electronically in an approved format for each student at the end of the school year. These registers will be generated by the Office of Information Services. The registers will include the overall daily and period attendance codes for each instructional day the student was enrolled.

The principal and the teacher will sign an Oath of Affirmation to validate the authenticity and accuracy of the daily and period attendance registers, and send them to the Director of Information Services or designee. Where electronic verification is used, the District will ensure that the verification process satisfies applicable legal and regulatory requirements.

The daily and period attendance registers, supporting documentation, and Oath of Affirmation shall be filed and housed with the Director of Information Services or designee for six (6) years or as otherwise required by applicable records retention requirements.

The District uses excused and unexcused attendance categories to maintain accurate records, support consistent attendance coding, and help identify when students and families may need support. These categories are used for attendance reporting and intervention planning, but they do not change the District’s commitment to working with families to understand and address barriers to regular attendance.

Regardless of whether an absence is excused or unexcused, the District may provide outreach and support when attendance patterns suggest that a student may be experiencing barriers to regular attendance. Families are encouraged to communicate with the school early and often so that attendance records accurately reflect the reason for each absence and students can be connected to appropriate supports when needed.

The following attendance events are considered excused for any part of the school day:
 

    * These excused reasons still count toward the student’s total number of absences.

All other attendance events are considered unexcused for any part of the school day. This includes absences from school without the knowledge or permission of a parent/guardian as well as absences for reasons that are not recognized as excused under this policy, such as vacations, oversleeping, missing the bus for reasons other than a documented bus delay, babysitting, shopping, hair or nail appointments, or other personal activities not approved by the District. 

If the school has not received a valid written or verbal excuse, the absence will initially be recorded as unverified. If a parent/guardian provides a written or verbal excuse within three school days of the student’s return, the attendance record will be updated accordingly. If no such excuse is received within three school days of the student’s return, the absence will be recorded as unexcused. A parent/guardian may still provide a reason after that time, and the attendance record may be updated in accordance with District procedures.
 

Attendance During Suspensions

When a student is serving in-school suspension (ISS) or out-of-school suspension (OSS), attendance will be recorded based on whether the student is present for the assigned instructional program. If the student is present and participating in the District-provided alternative instruction, the student will be marked present for attendance purposes. If the student does not attend the assigned ISS or OSS instructional setting, the student will be marked absent, and that absence will be coded as excused or unexcused in accordance with this policy.

Class Absences and Tardies

For students who are present in school but do not attend a scheduled class or assigned instructional period without permission or a valid excuse, the absence from that class will be considered a class cut and will be recorded as unexcused. Students in grades 7–12 will also be marked tardy if they arrive after the start of a class period.

School Tardies

Regular, on-time attendance is essential for student learning, classroom community, and a smooth start to the school day. When students arrive on time, they are better able to engage in instruction, maintain consistent routines, and avoid missed learning opportunities districtwide.

For students who arrive after the official start time of the school day without a valid excuse, the attendance event will be recorded as a tardy. For students with excessive tardies (more than five in a marking period), the school will send a written tardy notification to the parent/guardian and will work with the student and family to identify barriers and provide attendance-related supports as needed.

For purposes of monitoring and intervention, the district will also review chronic absenteeism and attendance levels. Chronic absenteeism generally refers to a student being absent for 10% or more of enrolled instructional days, including both excused and unexcused absences. This definition is used for monitoring attendance patterns and identifying supports; it does not replace the district’s responsibility to code individual absences, tardiness, and early departures as excused or unexcused in accordance with this policy.

The district will monitor attendance data throughout the year so that supports can begin before absences accumulate. Students do not need to reach the chronic absenteeism threshold before staff may offer outreach, support, or referral to an attendance/MTSS team.

Regular attendance and active participation in learning help students build strong relationships, develop confidence, and make meaningful academic progress. While New York State regulations permit school districts to establish minimum attendance requirements for course credit, Rush-Henrietta has chosen an approach grounded in partnership, support, and student success rather than punitive measures.

Section 104.1 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education allows school districts to establish minimum levels of attendance for receiving course credit and to determine which absences, tardiness, and early dismissals are excused or unexcused. After thoughtful review and discussion with educators, school leaders, and stakeholders, the district determined that implementing a rigid minimum attendance threshold would not best serve our students or families. Rather than adopting a minimum percentage requirement for earning course credit, the district is committed to supporting student learning, engagement, and academic progress through proactive communication, intervention, and individualized support when attendance concerns arise.

Rush-Henrietta firmly believes that learning happens through participation, discussion, collaboration, practice, and engagement with others. Teachers design learning experiences that may include classroom participation, projects, presentations, home learning, collaborative work, and demonstrations of understanding. Because these experiences are important parts of the learning process, frequent absences may impact a student’s ability to fully demonstrate mastery of course standards.

However, the district also believes that students succeed best when schools and families work together in a supportive and compassionate manner. Consistent with the district’s commitment to equitable practices and a foundation to flourish for all students, attendance concerns will be addressed through prevention, intervention, relationship-building, and individualized support whenever possible.

The Rush-Henrietta Central School District recognizes that timely, respectful, and accessible communication with parents/guardians is essential to supporting regular attendance. The purpose of attendance communication is to confirm student safety, ensure accurate attendance records, share concerns early, understand any barriers to attendance, and work collaboratively with families to support student engagement and success.

In seeking a positive working relationship with families, the district may use the following notification methods:

• automated notifications through the district’s broadcast messaging system;
• verbal communication, including phone calls or conferences;
• written communication, including letters, email, or other district-approved methods; and
• other appropriate communication methods to support access and understanding, including translated or interpreted communication when needed.

The building principal or designee, in conjunction with the building attendance clerk and other designated staff, including attendance and/or MTSS teams, will review attendance records at least quarterly. Building teams may review attendance data more frequently to identify emerging patterns and provide timely support.

This review is conducted to identify individual and group patterns of absences, tardiness, and early departures and to initiate appropriate intervention strategies and supports. Building staff who identify immediate attendance concerns for individual students should report those concerns to the building principal or designee as soon as practicable.

The Director of Information Services or designee will provide professional development and support to attendance clerks and other appropriate staff regarding access to attendance reports through the Student Information System.

 

The Rush-Henrietta Central School District believes that regular school attendance is essential to student learning, well-being, and long-term success. Regular attendance and active participation in school help students access instruction, build relationships with peers and school staff, participate in extracurricular activities, receive academic and social-emotional supports, and make meaningful progress toward course completion and graduation.

The District recognizes that attendance challenges may result from a variety of circumstances, including health concerns, family responsibilities, transportation challenges, mental health needs, housing instability, caregiving responsibilities, or other life events. When attendance concerns occur, the District will prioritize early communication, collaborative problem-solving, restorative practices, and supportive intervention rather than blame or punishment.

To support student attendance, staff will make every effort to communicate with parents/guardians when a student is absent, arrives late, or leaves school early when the family has not already notified the school. District staff and building teams will regularly review attendance patterns to identify students who may need additional support. Staff will work alongside students and families to better understand attendance concerns, identify barriers, and connect students and families with strategies, supports, and resources that promote regular attendance and school connection.

School principals may engage a variety of school-based professionals to support students and families, including teachers, school counselors, school psychologists, school social workers, nurses, case managers, and other student support staff. Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), Attendance Teams, Student Support Teams, CSE/504 teams, and other building-based structures may help coordinate interventions and create individualized plans to support attendance, engagement, and school connectedness. When appropriate, the District may also partner with community agencies and organizations to provide additional support for students and families.

The District remains committed to continuously improving attendance practices through collaboration with families, students, staff, and community partners. Input from groups such as the District Parent Advisory Council, the District Multicultural Parent Advisory Council, the District Instructional Council, Administrative Council, and student representatives may help guide efforts to create welcoming, supportive learning environments where students want to attend and succeed.

The District’s ongoing attendance efforts focus on:

• early identification of attendance concerns or patterns of absenteeism;
• timely and compassionate communication with families;
• building positive relationships with students and caregivers;
• removing barriers that impact attendance and engagement;
• implementing restorative and supportive interventions;
• encouraging students to complete missed assignments and remain connected to learning;
• promoting a sense of belonging, safety, and connection within the school community; and
• connecting students and families with school-based and community-based resources when appropriate.

Multi-Tiered Attendance Supports and Interventions

The district uses a multi-tiered system of supports, which includes data-based decision making and progress monitoring, to help students remain engaged in school and improve attendance outcomes. 

Tier 1 – Universal Supports

Tier 1 supports are strategies and opportunities available to all students to encourage engagement, belonging, and school connection. These may include:

• positive school climate initiatives;
• student recognition and celebrations;
• extracurricular activities, clubs, athletics, and enrichment opportunities;
• social-emotional learning supports;
• family communication and outreach;
• attendance awareness and education; and
• classroom practices that promote belonging, engagement, and participation.

Tier 2 – Targeted Supports

Tier 2 supports are additional supports for students who may begin experiencing attendance challenges. These may include:

• Check-In/Check-Out (CICO);
• mentoring opportunities, including Check and Connect;
• increased home-school communication, including home visits when appropriate;
• student support plans;
• school counseling and social-emotional support;
• expanded learning opportunities such as tutoring, intersession programming, or academic support; and
• problem-solving meetings with students and families to identify barriers and solutions.

Tier 3 – Intensive and Individualized Supports

Tier 3 supports are comprehensive interventions for students with significant or ongoing attendance concerns. These may include:

• mentoring or Check and Connect;
• interagency case management and collaboration with community partners, such as URMC or FACT;
• individualized student support plans focused on engagement, learning, and graduation pathways;
• wraparound supports connecting families with school and community resources;
• restorative planning meetings to rebuild connection and support re-entry into school; and
• consideration of alternative pathways, programming, or supports when appropriate.

Family and Community Resources

The Rush-Henrietta Central School District is committed to connecting families with helpful attendance and wellness resources. Families may access:

• District family support resources;
• Attendance Works resources;
• community-based supports and services;
• mental health and wellness resources;
• transportation, food, and housing assistance information when available.

Together, families, schools, and community partners share responsibility for helping students attend school consistently, feel connected, and achieve success. Through strong partnerships and restorative practices, Rush-Henrietta remains committed to building a foundation to flourish for all students and fostering a cohesive and inclusive community and culture where every student knows they belong here.

The Rush-Henrietta Board of Education will annually review building-level student attendance records.  The annual review should also consider district-level and building-level attendance trends, chronic absenteeism data, ATED patterns, subgroup data, implementation of MTSS/PBIS attendance supports, family outreach practices, student and family feedback where available, and the effectiveness of interventions. The purpose of the annual review is to determine whether district attendance practices are improving regular attendance, student engagement, academic progress, access to supports, and equitable outcomes. If such records show a decline in student attendance, the Board may direct the superintendent or designee to review the Comprehensive Attendance Policy and related procedures and recommend revisions to the policy deemed necessary to improve student attendance. Any policy revisions requiring Board approval will be presented to the Board in accordance with district policy and applicable law.

The Rush-Henrietta Board of Education will promote community awareness of its Comprehensive Attendance Policy by requiring the following action steps:

1. Building principals will provide a plain language summary of the policy to the parents/guardians of students at the beginning of each school year, and will take other steps deemed necessary to promote the understanding of such policy by students and their parents/guardians. The plain-language summary should explain attendance expectations, excused and unexcused absences, chronic absenteeism, family notification, available supports, and how families can request help.

2. Building principals will provide each teacher with a copy of the policy and any amendments as soon as practical following initial adoption or amendment of the policy.  Principals will provide new teachers with a copy of the policy upon their employment. Staff will receive communication and/or training regarding attendance procedures, coding, MTSS/PBIS referral pathways, family-centered outreach, and the district’s expectations for consistent implementation.

3. Copies of the policy will be made available to other members of the community via:

• the main office of each school;
• the office of the assistant superintendent of student & family services;
• Henrietta, Rush, and Brighton public libraries;
• the district website:
• translated copies, interpretation, or accessible formats upon request or as required by law.

Attendance Support and Intervention Flowchart

 

Revised: July 1, 2026