Report an Absence
Students are expected to attend all assigned classes each day. It is important that you contact the office whenever your student will be absent from school. To report an absence, please contact us in one of the following ways with your student's name, classroom teacher, and reason for absence*.
*If your student is experiencing a fever of 100.4 degrees or higher, cough or loss of smell or taste, please identify which of these symptoms in your message.
Attendance Policy
Regular attendance is essential for success in school; therefore, absences shall be excused only for necessary and important reasons. Valid excuses for absences are outlined in NSD Board Policy 3122. A Parent/Guardian should notify the school prior to the absence/tardy with a call, note or email that his/her child is unable to attend or will be late to school. The call, note or email must be received within 72 hours of the absence and address the date/time and reason for the absence.
RCW 28A.225.010 Excused absences shall not be permitted if deemed to cause a serious adverse effect upon the student’s educational progress, unless the student is physically or mentally unable to attend school and the parent has provided documentation of the student’s inability to attend.
Early dismissal
Early dismissals should be arranged prior to 3:15. Email frankloveattendance@nsd.org before 3:15. Walk-in early dismissal requests after 3:15 can not be accommodated in order to allow the office staff to focus on dismissal procedures for the school.
- Early dismissals for appointments will be marked excused.
- Early dismissals to avoid traffic will be marked as unexcused.
Absences/Tardies
- Any student arriving later than 9:10 am will need to check in at the main office and receive a tardy slip before going to their classroom.
- The following are considered unexcused tardies and unexcused absences:
- missed bus, late ride, overslept, babysitting, meals, appointment for a person other than the student, errands, taking a sibling to school, etc.
- Frequent absences/tardies will result in a letter home and may include an action plan to ensure consistent attendance.
- The school may take a variety of actions to help improve a student’s attendance.
- If there are extenuating circumstances causing increased tardiness and/or absences, please notify the office.
- Please avoid appointments and travel when school is in session.
- Please do not hesitate to reach out for help if you think your child is avoiding school. We can work together to problem solve or encourage your child to attend school.
- Excused absences or late arrivals considered appropriate by the school district include:
- student illness, family emergencies, special religious observances, medical/dental appointments, and school-sponsored activities.
- Field trips are an extension of the classroom. When a family decides that a student is unable to attend a field trip, the student is expected to be in school.
- If a student has either seven unexcused absences in any month or ten unexcused absences during the school year, the school is required to file a truancy petition with the King County Court. (Please see the Northshore School District website, www.nsd.org, for the full text of the NSD Board Policy on Excused and Unexcused Absences Policy No. 3122).
Request for Excused Absence
If you know your child is going to be absent, please download this FL Pre-Arranged Absence Form to your computer or phone, complete the form, save it, and email it to frankloveattendance@nsd.org .
*Please note: State law requires that a student be withdrawn after 20 consecutive absences. You will need to provide “proof of residence” to reactivate your student upon their return.