Butte School District

THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

3122

Attendance Policy - Grades 1-12

Butte School District No. I is committed to the tenet that every student should attend school every day and that poor attendance results, not only in a loss of valuable instruction time, but creates lifelong behavior patterns which could dramatically influence a student's career success.

Regular attendance and promptness are expected and essential for success in school. The law of the State of Montana, Section 20-5-103, MCA, specifies the requirements for compulsory attendance in school. It requires parents and guardians who are responsible for the care of school-age children to enforce attendance to the school in which the child is enrolled.

The entire process of education requires a regular continuity of instruction, classroom participation, learning experiences, and study in order to reach the goal of maximum educational benefits for each individual child. The regular contact of the students with one another in the classroom and their participation in instructional activities under the tutelage of a competent teacher are vital to this purpose. This is an established principle of education, which underlies and gives purpose to the requirement of compulsory schooling in this state and every other state in the nation. The good things that schools have to offer can only be presented to students who are in attendance. With continued emphasis regarding the "All Day- Every Day" attendance initiative, all parties involved in attendance can better strive for quality in the classroom. Attendance reflects a student's dependability and is a significant factor on the student's permanent record. Future employers are as much concerned about punctuality and dependability as they are about academic record. School success, scholarship and job opportunity are greatly affected by a good attendance record.

Legal Reference:        
§ 20-5-103, MCA  Compulsory Attendance and Excuses

Cross Reference:        
Policy 3150  Part-Time Attendance

Policy History:
Adopted on: 10/18/04
Revised on:  06/22/10,  04/16/18