Regular attendance is an essential component of school success. Teachers design lessons to engage students and learning occurs when students are present in class to engage with the content within a community of learners. It is not possible to re-create the learning experiences in missed class periods. It is important to show up and actively participate in class consistently.

Please be aware that Oregon law require us to drop students after 10 consecutive days of non-attendance, regardless of whether or not it was due to illness. Parents of Students absent for more than 10 consecutive days may re-enroll at the school office.

If you have any questions or concerns about attendance please contact our attendance office:

Debra Falk, Attendance Secretary
Phone: (541) 482-8782
Email: Debra.Falk@ashland.k12.or.us
Please note, due to the high volume of calls not all calls can be answered. Please leave a clear voicemail that states your name, your student's name, and the reason for the absence/tardy. If there is an emergency please contact the main office at (541) 482-8771

Daily Notification for Unexcused Absences

Families will be notified of daily unexcused absences via the SchoolReach notification system. By default, the System will call the primary phone number listed on each child’s fall registration paperwork. To select another number, such as a cell phone number, guardians may log into PowerSchool, click on Account Preferences > SchoolReach, and then select from the list of phone numbers provided at registration. To add a new phone number to the list, contact the AHS Main Office (541-482-8771 ext. 2100). In PowerSchool, it is also possible to select a secondary phone for attendance calls. The service will deliver messages to both live answers and answering machines. No answers (phones ringing over 40 seconds) and busy signals will be automatically retried twice in fifteen-minute intervals after the initial call.

Attendance Myths

Myth - "Open Campus means that you can leave campus any time."

Open campus is only at LUNCH TIME or during scheduled OUT PERIODS. If you are scheduled for a class you must check out in the attendance office (appointments, illness, etc). You need to check out before you leave and check back in to the attendance office when you return from an appointment or if you are late arriving in the morning or after lunch. Otherwise your absence is unexcused. Once a teacher takes attendance we do not expect them to go back and retake it every time someone walks in late. The only way to guarantee your UNX is changed to a TDY or EXC is through the attendance office.

If you are scheduled for a class you need to attend that class. If you are going to the library or staying home to finish work for another class you must have approval of your classroom teacher for that period. Without the teacher's permission it will stay as an unexcused absence.​

Partially True - "If I miss a class I can make it up."

Students can make up unexcused absences and tardies by arranging make up time as described below:

If teacher requests the make up session student will arrange to attend their office hours. Mondays or Fridays 3:00-4:00 pm

If student uses the library for make up sessions, they will need to sign in and out with the librarian to get the UNX absences or tardies cleared. This can be done before or after school as well as at lunch or during an out period.

• 30 minute make up session clears 1 UNX absence or 3 UNX tardies. 

• 60 minute make up session clears 2 UNX absences or 6 UNX tardies.

Failure to clear these within 2 week period may result in lunch detentions.

Excused absences

Ashland School District has established the following parameters under which an absence from school will be considered an EXCUSED absence:

• Personal or Family Illness

• Mental or Behavioral Health Absence

• Military Dependent Absence

• Medical or Health Care Appointment

• Death of a Loved One or Family

• Emergency

• Religious Holidays and Instruction

• School-Sponsored Absence

• Court Appearance

Mental Health Day

Student absences due to mental or behavioral health are not to exceed five days in any three-month period. School Office Managers / Attendance Secretaries monitor the use of this excused absence. Absences of more than three days by any one student require Office Manager / Attendance Secretary notification to the principal.

Military Dependent Absence

Students who are dependents of a member of the U.S. Armed Forces who is on active duty or who is called to active duty may be excused for up to seven days during a school year.

Religious Based Absence

Any student who because of his or her religious beliefs is unable to attend classes on a particular day shall be excused from attendance requirements and from any examination or other assignment on that day. The student shall make up the examination or other assignment missed because of such absence. The absence is excused and will not result in exclusion, failure, or reduction of grade based upon a certain number of days. OAR 581-021-0045. Please notify the school in advance.

Through prior arrangement with the front office, a child attending the public school may be excused from school for periods not exceeding two hours in any week for elementary pupils and five hours in any week for secondary pupils to attend weekday schools giving instruction in religion. ORS 339.420.

Parents/Guardians will have two school days after an absence occurs to excuse the absence(s). The Parent/Guardian must notify the school regarding each day the student is absent. This can be done by a phone call to the Attendance Office at 541-482-8782, by sending a signed note, or via email at Debra.Falk@ashland.k12.or.us. Students leaving due to an appointment/illness during class-time must first check out in the Attendance Office. Students arriving late in the morning, after lunch, or who are returning from an appointment, must also check in at the Attendance Office prior to returning to class, otherwise the absence will be unexcused.

Absences of more than three consecutive days that are due to illness may require follow up with the school nurse and/or verification from a health care provider.​

Pre-Arranged Absence

If a student plans to miss two days or more of school for any reason they will be required to complete and submit to the Attendance office a Pre-Arranged Form. This form allows teachers to give assignments and approval for the student missing their class. It also allows parents/guardians to read teacher comments to see how this absence could affect their child's grade.

Please be aware that we are governed by state laws that require us to drop a student after 10 days of non-attendance whether this is pre-arranged or not. If you are dropped from your classes we need you to report to the main office in order to be reactivated within our system.

Unexcused Absences

Sometimes families choose to be absent for a personal reason other than those listed above. While we cannot excuse that absence, we can help you minimize the educational impact on your child with advance notice. If you know that your child will be absent for two or more consecutive days of school for reasons other than those listed as excusable, they can complete and return a Pre-Arranged Absence Form to the Attendance Office 24 hours in advance of the absence. This form allows teachers to give assignments to the student and to note that the absence is pre-arranged. It also allows parents/guardians to read teachers’ comments to see how the absence will affect their child’s grade. The absence will appear on the attendance record as UPA – unexcused pre-arranged.

Examples of Unexcused Absences

• Truancies or leaving the classroom and not returning

• Haircut Appointments

• Senior Portraits

• Senior Project Related Activities

• Career Shadowing

• Absences Related to Student’s Personal Appearance

• Absences whereby the educational benefits do not outweigh the benefits received in school

• College class requirements

• Vacation or Family Trip

Students and parents should be aware that points missed during the course of an unexcused absence cannot be made up. Unexcused absences have a serious effect on the student grade.

Absences Longer Than 10 Consecutive Days

Please be aware that Oregon law require us to drop students after 10 consecutive days of non-attendance, regardless of whether or not it was pre-arranged or due to illness. Students absent for more than 10 consecutive days must report to the main office upon return to be re-enrolled in school. Depending on the nature and length of a pre-arranged absence greater than 10 days, we may be able to maintain your child’s current class schedule.

Tardies

Students who are tardy often miss the most critical portion of a school day or classroom lesson. Frequent tardies have a serious impact on learning and school success. We understand that life happens and sometimes students are late for valid reasons. Student tardies fall under the same guidelines and restrictions as student absences.

Multiple Unexcused Absences

1. Teacher Contact

   • If a student has two unexcused absences in a single class, the teacher will make home contact and inform the student’s counselor.

2. Detention

   • Students who have two or more unexcused absences from any classes will be required to make up that time through lunch detention, after school detention, or in school suspension. Classwork missed due to unexcused absences may NOT be turned in for credit.

3. Attendance Contracts

   • Students who do not serve detentions, or if a student is assigned detentions twice in any one semester due to a total of eight unexcused absences, this student will be supported through an attendance contract. If the student is unsuccessful in fulfilling the contract, additional interventions may be necessary. These may include a closed campus, community service, daily attendance checks, parent education, in school suspension, Restorative Justice Contract or a meeting with school administration.

Parents are encouraged to check PowerSchool if their student has experienced irregular attendance. Chronic problems with unexcused absences may result in a visit from the truancy officer (which may also have legal implications), and finally, in extreme cases, dropped from Ashland High School per OAR.