Attendance Matters

Help your child succeed in school by building the habit of good attendance early so they learn right away that attending school on time and every day is important. Attending school regularly helps children feel better about school and themselves and good attendance will help children do well in high school, college and in their future careers.

If children do not attend school regularly, they miss out on fundamental reading and math skills and the chance to build a habit of good attendance that will carry them into college and careers. Students can suffer academically if they miss 10% of the school year, or about 18 days. That’s just one day every two weeks.

Research shows that missing 2-3 days a month can result in:

Sporadic absences matter. Just one or two days a month can add up before you know it!

If you are facing challenges related to health care, unstable housing, transportation or lack of food, your school can help. We can connect you to services for the whole family.

Some absences are unavoidable. Children get sick and need to miss school occasionally. The important thing is to have students attend school as often as possible and on time. If your student must be absent, it is important you communicate with your school and report the absence.

3rd-grade students falling behind in reading
6th-grade students failing courses
Teens dropping out of high school

Attendance Policy and Procedure
FAQs

Attendance Policy and Procedure

Washington law requires children from age 8 to 17 to attend a public school, private school or to receive home-based instruction (homeschooling). Children who are 6 or 7 years old are not required to be enrolled in school. However, if parents enroll their 6- or 7-year-old, the student must attend full time. Youth who are 16 or older may be excused from attending public school if they have graduated or acquired a GED. Washington’s truancy law, often termed the “Becca Bill” is intended to curb school truancy before it becomes habitual. The law requires many things of schools, but only requires one thing of students: attend school. If a student does not attend school the law requires the school district to take action.

In addition to the law, we have Policy 3122 and Procedure 3122P in place with regards to excused and unexcused absences.

FAQs

Why does attendance matter?

Absenteeism in the first month of school can predict poor attendance throughout the school year. Half the students who miss 2-4 days in September go on to miss nearly a month of school.
Absenteeism and its ill effects start early. One in 10 kindergarten and first grade students are chronically absent. Poor attendance can influence whether children read proficiently by the end of third grade.
By 6^th grade, chronic absence (missing 10% of school) becomes a leading indicator that a student will drop out of high school.
Research shows that missing 10% of the school year, or about 18 days, negatively affects a student’s academic performance. That is just two days a month.
The academic impact of missing school is the same whether the absences are excused or unexcused.
Low-income students are four times more likely to be chronically absent than others often for reasons beyond their control, such as unstable housing, unreliable transportation and lack of access to health care.
When students improve their attendance rates, they improve their academic prospects and chances for graduating.
Being late to classes may lead to poor attendance.
Absences can affect the whole classroom if the teacher has to slow down learning to help children catch up.

What can you do?

Set a regular bedtime and morning routine.
Talk about the importance of regular attendance and about how your child feels about school.
Find out what day school starts and make sure your child has the required vaccinations.
Introduce your child to their teachers and classmates before school starts to help their transition.
Don’t let you child miss class unless they are truly sick. Keep in mind complaints of a stomachache or headache can be a sign of anxiety and not a reason to miss school.
If your child seems anxious about school, talk to teachers, school counselors or other parents for advice on how to help them feel comfortable and excited about learning.
Develop back-up plans for getting to class if something comes up. Call on a family member, a neighbor or another parent.
Avoid medical appointments and extended trips when school is in session.

How do I help my preteen or teenager?

Being engaged in school has a huge impact on a student’s academic success starting in kindergarten and continuing through high school. Even as children grow older and more independent, families play a key role in making sure students attend school every day and understand why attendance is so important for success in school and on the job.

Make school attendance a priority.
Talk about the importance of attending school every day, make that the expectation.
Help your child maintain daily routines, such as finishing homework and getting a good night’s sleep.
Try not to schedule dental and medical appointments during the school day.
Do not let your child miss school unless truly sick. Complaints of headaches or stomachaches may be signs of anxiety.
Help your teen stay engaged
- Find out if your child feels engaged by their classes and feels safe from bullies and other threats. Make sure they are not missing class because of behavioral issues and school discipline policies. If any of these are problems, work with your child’s school.
- Stay on top of academic progress and seek help from teachers or tutors if necessary. Make sure teachers know how to contact you.
- Stay on top of your child’s social contacts. Peer pressure can lead to skipping school, while students without many friends can feel isolated.
- Encourage meaningful after-school activities, including sports and clubs.
Communicate with the school
Know the school’s attendance policy – incentives and penalties.
Talk to teachers if you notice sudden changes in behavior. These could be tied to something going on at school.
Check on your child’s attendance to be sure absences are not piling up.
Ask for help from school officials, after-school programs, other parents or community agencies if you are having trouble engaging your child in school.

Student Release Guidelines

Parent/guardian guidelines for the release of a student for religious-related activities or instruction

Everett Public Schools does not partner with, endorse, nor oppose any religious organization or program. No religious programs operate out of our schools during the school day.

Parents and guardians have the right to choose to seek the release of their students during the school day for religious-related activities or instruction that occurs off school property for part of the school day pursuant to District Policy 2340 and Procedure 2340P. The policy and procedures align with both Washington State (RCW 28A.600.025) and federal law, with which the district is required to comply. The procedure allows students to be excused for a portion of the school day, provided the instruction is conducted off-site and does not disrupt their regular classroom instructional time.

Families who choose to seek the release of their students from school for religious instruction must follow the guidelines below to ensure student safety and compliance with district policy and procedure.

Parent/Guardian Authorization

Submitting the Release Request

It must be a parent or guardian who makes the decision to request their child to be released to another adult, and it must be done through either a written note or an email at each of those occurrences. The request for each occurrence must be submitted no later than the morning of the requested release date.

The request must include:

Student’s full name.

Specific time and date of release.

The name of the adult who will pick up the student.

Limits on Release

Pick-Up and Return Procedures

Transportation

Distribution of Materials

Students may not return to their classrooms with handouts or other items from the religious organization. Any distribution of materials by a student must comply with board policy and procedure regarding the distribution of religious materials.

If religious materials are distributed off-site by the organization to the students, they are to be sealed in an envelope and placed directly into the student’s backpack immediately upon their return to school.

Questions

Frequently Asked Questions: Religious-Related Activities and Practices During the School Day

Does Everett Public Schools partner with Lifewise Academy or any religious organizations during the school day?

Everett Public Schools does not partner with Lifewise Academy and neither endorses nor opposes this or any religious program. Rather, the district complies with District Policy 2340, which governs Religious-Related Activities and Practices, and adheres to Procedure 2340P. These policies align with both Washington State and federal law, with which the district is required to comply.

Can students participate in religious instruction during the school day?

In accordance with state and federal law, District Policy 2340, Religious-Related Activities and Practices, a parent or guardian has the right to release their student during the school day to participate in religious instruction. The procedure allows students to be excused for a portion of the school day, provided the instruction is conducted off-site and does not disrupt their regular classroom instructional time.

Who is responsible for transportation to off-site religious instruction during the school day?

Are students allowed to distribute religious materials, such as fliers, at school?

In compliance with state and federal law, our district procedures 3222P and 2340P allow students to distribute materials, including religious materials, before and after school. Non-students, however, are prohibited from distributing materials on campus, and students are not allowed to distribute materials on behalf of groups or individuals who are not students.

Does Everett Public Schools have a Release Time Religious Instruction policy?

Washington state does not have a specific statute governing Release Time for Religious Instruction (RTRI) and instead leaves decisions up to local school districts. Everett Public Schools does not have a specific RTRI policy but has adopted Policy 2340: Religious-Related Activities and Practices. This policy allows parents to seek the release of their students during the school day for off-campus religious instruction, as long as it does not disrupt their regular educational program. These policies align with both Washington State (RCW 28A.600.025) and federal law, with which the district is required to comply. The district does not partner with or endorse any religious organizations, including LifeWise Academy.

Does the request for release for religious instruction need to be made for each instance separately?

What do I do if I have a concern about something affecting my student?

Everett Public Schools takes all concerns affecting students seriously. Any activities, including religious-related practices, must comply with district policies and the law to ensure that no disruptions to the educational environment occur.

Everett Public Schools maintains a safe, respectful and secure learning environment for all students that is free from harassment, intimidation and bullying. Everett Public Schools core values include our commitment to value differences among people and treat one another respectfully. In accordance with Washington state RCW 28A.300.285, harassment, intimidation and bullying of students by other students, by staff members, by volunteers, by parents or by guardians is prohibited. Everett Public Schools will abide by district policy 3204 and procedure 3204P. Please visit our Guide to Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying (HIB) Incident Reporting website for more information.

Please reach out to your school principal if you have further questions.