Attendance and Lateness Policy

Who is Required to Attend School?

The Pennsylvania School Compulsory Law requires students from the ages of 8-17 to attend school on a daily bases. As Philadelphia is a District of the First Class, the requirement for school attendance is between the ages of 6-17. Once a student is enrolled in school, he/she can only be withdrawn if he/she transfers out of the District. The student will remain on the District’s roll and the child/family is subjected to Truancy Court if they do not attend school.

What Happens (at the school level) When my Child is Absent?

School Process

1. Parents must submit an absence note to the school within three days of the children’s unexcused absence. After 3 days, the School Principal/Designee will make a determination if the note will be accepted. If the note has been accepted, the teacher will make the corrections on the roll sheet and then submit to the main office so that it can be changed in the School Computer Network (SCN) or Scholar Chip.

2. At the 3rd unexcused absence the C-31 (Three Day Legal Notice) should be sent to the Parent/Guardian to make them aware that the child has missed 3 days (consecutive/nonconsecutive) of school.

3. At the 6th unexcused absence the school must utilize the Online Interventions Module (MTSS/RtII) and create an attendance plan for the student. The school should also arrange a meeting with the parent/guardian of the child to inquire about the truancy and come up with a plan to help remove any barriers to the student’s truancy.

4. At the 10th unexcused absence, the Truancy Referral should be submitted to the Office of Attendance & Truancy.

5. Once the referral has been submitted to the Office of Attendance & Truancy, it may take up to 6 weeks for the student/family to receive a citation for Truancy Court. Schools can check the S73 (Court Activity Screen) in School Computer Network (SCN), once a student has a court date to view dispositions and status updates.

6. Grades K-3 must be submitted on the DHS Referral Sheet, which is available on the office’s web site.

7. Grades 4-11th must be submitted on the Family Court Referral Sheet, which is available on the office’s web site

8. Siblings from the same school should be submitted together on the referral sheets.

Lateness Policy

Children who arrive after the lines have been escorted into the school building must go to the front hall for a late admit slip.  Students will not be accepted into their classrooms without a late slip.  Emlen School discourages lateness because students that are late lose instructional time and may jeopardize their success in school.  Parents will be notified if their children have been late more than three times and the student will also be assigned a detention to discourage late attendance.