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Attendance

Please call the 24-hour attendance line at 303.387.1502 for school absences. There are dedicated attendance secretaries who continually monitor the attendance line, prepare release slips for students, and enter the information into Infinite Campus.

MVHS 24-HOUR ATTENDANCE LINE: 303-387-1502 

When a student is absent, missed instructional time is impossible to replace. Attendance in class is an important part of the educational process and students are expected to be in attendance every day school is in session. Colorado state law requires every child between the ages of six and seventeen years to regularly attend school.

TARDIES/UNEXCUSED ABSENCES

A tardy is considered as missing LESS THAN 1/2 of total class minutes. (47 minutes on a block day, 25 minutes on a Friday schedule). Students will be marked unexcused absent for missing MORE THAN 1/2 of total class minutes.

*If arriving late for your first period of the day, a doctor’s note must be presented to excuse the tardy/absence. Being late for any other reason is unexcused.

Other than first period late arrivals, parents may excuse a student's absence by calling the MVHS attendance line within 48 hours of the absence.  All absences NOT excused within the 48 hour period will be considered unexcused.

EXCUSED ABSENCES

Excused absences are defined as: those resulting from temporary or extended illnesses, injuries, or physical, mental, or emotional disabilities, family emergencies, absences which occur when a student is in custody of a court or law enforcement authority.

Students with excused absences are responsible for contacting their teachers to arrange make-up learning opportunities. 

Students will have the number of classes missed plus one class to make up work missed during their absence. (Example: A student misses 1 class on a given day. All work from that class will be due on the 2nd day that the same class meets again.) 

Parents may not excuse their students from class because they are not prepared, need to work on another class, employment, or to do volunteer work for community service hours to meet their graduation requirement. 

All students who are not excused are expected to be in their assigned classroom. 

All attendance markings that are incorrect (i.e. - a student was marked absent but was only tardy) are to be worked out with the teacher first, then brought to the attendance secretary to make the necessary corrections.

UNEXCUSED ABSENCES

Unexcused absences are those with or without prior knowledge and approval of the parents but for reasons not acceptable to the administration. Make-up work shall be allowed following an unexcused absence with the goal of providing the student an opportunity to keep up with the class and an incentive to attend school. Credit for make-up work will be awarded at the teacher’s discretion based upon a clearly articulated course policy.

EARLY RELEASE

If your student will be leaving early for an appointment, we are utilizing an electronic process. Paper passes will still be available when needed, however, we appreciate your support in encouraging your student to utilize the early release pass sent to their student email whenever possible.  

Parents should continue to leave a voice message on the attendance line as our preferred method, but hand-written notes will still be accepted.   

If there is NO call or note, the student will NOT be released.
Whenever possible, please have students released during passing periods or during lunch.  In these instances, a pass will NOT be sent to the students.
All students must check out at the attendance window if they will be returning to school and check back in before going to class.


If a same day appointment is needed, please allow at least 2 hours for an early release. Although we strive to do our best to release your student, not providing enough notice for an early release could result in a delay.

ADDITIONAL POLICIES 

  • Students who are chronically absent at a 20% rate or higher may be denied credit for courses. The action would be recorded as a WF (withdraw fail) grade on the student’s transcript, be calculated as a zero into the student’s GPA, and may affect student athletic/activity eligibility. 

    In some situations, students may remain in the class and have the opportunity to recover credit that has been denied. Students may be assigned attendance recovery by a member on the administration team. The time the recovery takes place and the location is determined by the administrator and communicated with the student and guardian. 

    School Board Policy - JH Student Attendance Board Policy

 

  • If a student does not change behaviors in attendance and school engagement following a truancy meeting with school staff and the Re-Engagement Specialist, after missing school for 10 or more consecutive days (excused and/or unexcused), then they run the risk of being exited from Mountain Vista High School or not graduating due to lack of attendance and communication, in accordance with Colorado State regulations and Douglas County School District Board policy. 

 

  • If a student does not feel well in class, they must inform the teacher and be excused to leave class to come up to the main office. The student will be evaluated in the health room and a determination will be made as to whether they meet the criteria to be sent home due to illness. Parents will be notified by the health assistant of their student’s illness and can pick up their student at that time. The front office will not send passes to retrieve sick students out of class.