Definitions
“In attendance” shall mean a student is present at his/her assigned school/class, or an activity sponsored by
the school (ex. field trip), for at least half of the regular school day. A student who is serving an out-of-school
suspension or expulsion should always be considered absent.
“Absence” means an excused absence, unexcused absence, or disciplinary absence, as those terms are
defined by the State Board of Education, or an in-school suspension that is greater than or equal to one-half
of a school day.
“Truant” shall mean a student age five to eighteen, inclusive, who has four unexcused absences in any one
month, or ten unexcused absences in one school year.
“Chronically absent child” is an enrolled student whose total number of absences at any time during a school
year is equal to or greater than ten percent of the total number of days that such student has been enrolled
at such school during such school year.
“District chronic absenteeism rate” means the total number of chronically absent children in the previous
school year divided by the total number of children under the jurisdiction of the Board of Education for such
school year.
“School Chronic Absenteeism Rate” means the total number of chronically absent children for a school in
the previous school year divided by the total number of children enrolled in such school for such school year.
EXCUSED ABSENCES (GRADES K – 12)
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A student’s absence from school shall be considered excused if written documentation of the reason
for the absence has been submitted within ten school days of the student’s return to school or in
accordance with Section 10-210 of the Connecticut General Statutes and meets the following criteria:
A.
B.
For absences one through nine, a student’s absences from school are considered excused when the
student’s parent/guardian approves such absence and submits appropriate documentation;
and
For the tenth absence and all absences thereafter, a student’s absences from school are considered
excused for the following reasons:
1. student illness (Note: all student illness absences must be verified by an appropriately licensed
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
medical professional to be deemed excused, regardless of the length of absence);
student’s observance of a religious holiday;
death in the student’s family or other emergency beyond the control of the student’s family;
mandated court appearances (additional documentation required);
the lack of transportation that is normally provided by a district other than the one the student attends
(no parental documentation is required for this reason); or
extraordinary educational opportunities pre-approved by district administrators and in accordance
with Connecticut State Department of Education guidance.
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