BGHS Attendance Office

Attendance Hotline: (360) 885-6555

Lisa Barnes

Please be aware of attendance procedures that can be found in the Student Handbook that each student receives.

Attendance Policy

Students have 72 hours (three-days) to excuse an absence upon returning to school. Absences must be excused by the parent/guardian, not the student. You may call 885-6555 (24 hours a day), e-mail bghattendance@battlegroundps.org, or send a note. When excusing your student’s absence, all of the following information must be included in the note in order for the absence to be excused:

  • Student’s first and last legal name
  • Specific date of absences (not yesterday or one day last week)
  • Reason for absence
  • Parent/guardian signature & contact number.

Absences of 5 or more days for illness/health conditions will require a doctor’s note along with the parent note.

Click below for more information regarding attendance policies:

Early Departures

  • Students must check out at the attendance office prior to leaving school.
  • Every effort is made to notify the student as soon as possible, but unforeseen circumstances can cause a delay in getting the notification to them.
  • Bring a note to the attendance office prior to needing to leave campus to sign out.
  • Use the student phone at the attendance office to make parent contact for permission to leave.
  • Parent comes to the attendance office to sign out their student. (Allow 10 minutes for student to be notified).
  • Last minute emergency appointment may be called in to the attendance office. (Allow 10 minutes for student to be notified).
  • Students returning to school need to sign in at the attendance office when they arrive back on campus.

Truancy

Definition: A student who is absent without the knowledge and consent of his/her parent or is absent from school after arriving on campus without the knowledge and consent of the school, is truant. Truancy will be cause for disciplinary action, suspension or expulsion. A student is truant if:

  1. Leaves school without signing out in the Attendance Office.
  2. Is absent from school without permission of parents.
  3. Is absent from class without permission.
  4. Obtains a pass to go to a certain place on campus and does not report there.
  5. Becomes ill and goes home or stays in the restroom instead of reporting to the health room or office.
  6. Fails to attend a scheduled assembly or report to a designated area.
  7. Falsifies parental notes.
  8. Fails to verify absence within the required time limit (3 days).
  9. Is involved in a senior skip day.

Excused Daily Absences

The new statewide law requires districts to report absence data by school using the following definitions.

The following are valid excuses for absences from school:

  • Participation in a district of school approved activity or instructional program;
  • Illness, health condition or medical appointment (including but not limited to medical, counseling, dental or optometry);
  • Family emergency, including but not limited to a death or illness in the family;
  • Religious or cultural purpose including observance of a religious or cultural holiday or participation in religious or cultural instruction;
  • Court, judicial proceeding or serving on a jury;
  • Post-secondary, technical school or apprenticeship program visitation, or scholarship interview;
  • State-recognized search and rescue activities consistent with RCW 28A.225.055;
  • Absence directly related to the student’s homeless status;
  • Absence resulting from a disciplinary/corrective action. (e.g., short-term or long-term suspension, emergency expulsion); and
  • Principal (or designee) and parent, guardian, or emancipated youth mutually agreed upon approved activity. (PRE-APPROVED ABSENCE)

The school principal (or designee) has the authority to determine if an absence meets the above criteria for an excused absence.

Unexcused Daily Absences

Any absence from school for the majority of hours or periods in an average school day is unexcused unless it meets one of the criteria above for an excused absence.

GET IN TOUCH

icon 300 W Main Street
Battle Ground, WA 98604

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Battle Ground, WA 98604

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