Lewis and Clark Middle School

Attendance Policy                            

Attendance Phone: 208-350-4271       

Fax: 208-350-4284

It is essential that you monitor your student’s attendance.  Please refer to the district calendar before planning your vacations and appointments.  School begins at 8:20 a.m. and ends at 3:05 p.m. daily. Students should not be dropped off before 8:00 a.m.

 

The attendance policy allows for 6 non-waived absences per semester. The chart below shows the difference between waived and non-waived absences. Remember, a parent call does not waive an absence. Be aware that over 6 non-waived absences per semester may result in loss of credit per the Middle School Credit policy and/or other school actions. 

Waived Absences	Non Waived Absences
Documented court appearances Documented doctor, dental, orthodontic, & counseling appointments Bereavement for immediate family members (up to 5 days)	Parent call Doctor, dental, orthodontic, & counseling appointments without a note Court appearances without a note

 

All absences, waived or non waived, must be verified by the guardian. There are 3 ways to do this:

1. Call the school attendance line: 208-350-4271. This line is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

2. Walk in when you drop off your student and talk to the attendance secretary.

3. Bring in or have a doctor’s/court note faxed to the school.

** Guardian calls do not waive absences, they only verify where the student is, thus avoiding a truancy.

 

Below, please find some procedural reminders for when your student must miss school:

• If your student will be late to school & they will not have an appointment note, please call the front office to notify us.
• If students do have an appointment note, you do not need to accompany them to the office.
• Documentation for court appearances and medical/ mental health visits must be an official note from the professional providing the service. You can have the professional’s office fax the documentation to waive the absence to the school: 208-350-4284, or you can bring in a physical copy of the documentation.
• You can call ahead at 208-350-4270 to have your student waiting for you in the front office if you need to pick them up early. Students are not able to wait outside.

 

Tardies cannot be waived or excused by guardians. Students are considered tardy if not in their assigned classrooms when the tardy bell rings. Tardies accrue on a semester basis. The tardy policy incorporates the following:

First Tardy - Teacher warns the student

Second Tardy - Tardy notice sent home to parent

Third/Fourth Tardy - Student assigned to designated detention

Additional Tardies - Administrative Discretion

 

Please note: Only students riding school provided transportation will be eligible for excused tardies. All other tardies and late arrivals (except from medical appointments) are considered unexcused.