Dear Parents/Guardians,

Unexcused absences are in violation of the Pennsylvania School Code and the School District's Absence/Tardiness/Truancy Policy.  Absences are considered unexcused unless a valid excuse is presented to the administration.  A valid excuse can be a written parent/guardian note containing the student's name, date of absence, reason for absence, and a parent/guardian signature or an excuse from a health professional.  For example:  John Doe was absent on 10/2/19 as he was sick.  (Parent Signature)

Please note that calling the office does not excuse the absence. After 10 cumulative excused/unexcused absences, a physician's excuse will be required to legally excuse any additional absences.

Should your student accumulate six (6) or more unexcused absences, you will be required to attend a School Attendance Improvement Plan (SAIP) meeting at the school with the High School Principals and our truancy liaison from the Lackawanna County Office of Youth and Family Services.  If your student's attendance still does not improve after that meeting, a citation will be filed with the local magistrate.

Please check your student's attendance to make sure valid excuses have been brought in, so we can avoid involving the Lackawanna County Office of Youth and Family Services and the county magistrate.  If there are any absences that you have valid excuses for, please have your student bring them in to the office immediately, so we change the unexcused absences to excused absences.

Thank you for your help with this!