It is important that you understand our school policies and procedures, as well as Washington State Law, to ensure your child is successful in school. State law on mandatory attendance, called the Becca Bill, requires children from age 8 to 17 to attend a public school, private school, or a district-approved home school program.

We, the school, are required to take daily attendance and notify you when your student has an unexcused absence.

The school is required to contact you to schedule a conference to identify the barriers and supports available to you and your student. A conference is not required if your student has provided a doctor’s note. If your student has an Individualized Education Plan or a 504 Plan the team that created the plan needs to reconvene.

The school is required to file a petition with the Juvenile court, alleging a violation of RCW 28A.225.010, the mandatory attendance laws. The petition may be automatically stayed, and your student and family may be referred to a Community Education Board, or you and your student may need to appear in Juvenile Court. If your student continues to be truant, you may need to go to court.

We know that there are a wide variety of reasons that students are absent from school, from health concerns to transportation challenges. There are many people in our building prepared to help you if you or your student face challenges in getting to school regularly or on time. We promise to track attendance daily, to notice when your student is missing from class, communicate with you to understand why they were absent, and to identify barriers and supports available to overcome challenges you may face in helping your student attend school.

Going to school on time, every day, is important! Consistent attendance will help children do well in school, college, and work. Good attendance is missing not more than 1 day of school a month, whether excused or unexcused.

When attendance is good, they do well in school! Regular attendance ensures that:

• Preschoolers build skills and develop good habits for showing up on time
• Elementary students read well by the end of 3rd grade
• Middle & high schoolers stay on track for graduation

When do absences become a problem?

• Satisfactory: 9 or fewer absences means your student can keep up and keep learning!
• Warning Signs: 10 to 17 absences in a school year mean your student will miss a lot and struggle to keep up!
• Chronic Absence: 18 or more days in a year (2 days a month) is enough to warrant meeting with the student and your family to discuss any challenges that we may help overcome.

Too many absences—excused or unexcused—can keep students from succeeding in school and in life. Students who miss more than 1 school day a month become at risk for longer-term challenges.  For example:

• Half of the students who miss 2 to 4 days in September, go on to miss nearly one month of school;
• Chronically absent (2 days a month) students are more likely to drop out of high school;
• Chronically absent kindergartners score 20 percent lower in reading and math in later grades;
• Student absences in 8th grade are 8 times more predictive of 9th grade course failure than test scores;
• Chronic absenteeism is the strongest 6th grade predictor of not graduating from high school.

That’s why if your student has two unexcused absences in one month, state law (RCW 28A.225.020) requires that schools schedule a family conference with the student to identify barriers and supports available to ensure regular attendance.

We know that there are lots of challenges to getting to school on time. NTPS promises to track attendance daily, notice when your student is missing from class, and reach out to you or your students to help overcome any challenges that arise, including health and transportation issues.

Families get their kids to school! The student learns the importance of attendance from their family!

• Make attendance the expectation
• Use early release or days off to schedule appointments if possible
• Set a regular bedtime and morning routine & schedule
• Prepare for school the night before

• Read the Student Rights & Responsibilities Handbook
• See what the Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction has to say
• A national organization called Attendance Works
• Chapter 28A.225 RCW - COMPULSORY SCHOOL ATTENDANCE AND ADMISSION
• RCW 28A.225.020
• RCW 28A.225.010