Attendance Policy
District Policy JH is linked for reference. Here is further clarification on how DHS implements this policy:
A student who is temporarily ill or injured
- examples: injured skiing, Medical or dental appointment, fever over 100, concussion
- non examples: tired, mild illness
Prearranged or absence approved by the administrator of the school for appointments or circumstances of a serious nature only which cannot be taken care of outside of school hours
- examples: cultural ceremonies, family emergency, moving, hunting trip, drivers license test, bereavement
- non examples: oil change, drivers permit test
A student who is absent for an extended period due to a physical disability or a mental or behavioral health disorder.
- examples: mental health treatment, extensive surgery
A student who is pursuing a work-study program under the supervision of the school.
- examples: internship, work experience, coffee cart
Prearranged absence approved by the administrator of the school to attend activities of an educational or extracurricular nature.
- examples: devo race, dance competition, club sports, science fair, college tour (up to 2 days)
- non examples: family vacation
*pre-arranged family vacations will be entered as unexcused, but will have no academic consequences such as weighted grades or makeup work
Any school-sponsored activity
- examples: CHSAA sport competition, CTSO event, outdoor ed trip, theatre Bobby G Awards
A student who is suspended or expelled.
Additional unexcused reasons:
- overslept
- transportation issues
- job/work (non-school sponsored)
- attending a family member’s appointment
Because all students are "in the care of" DHS during school hours, parents/guardians must excuse their student's absence/tardy by email/call, even if a student is 18 years or older.
TO ACCOUNT FOR AN ABSENCE
The parent or guardian contacts DHS to report the student's absence within 24 hours of the absence or it will remain unexcused. The order of communication preference is:
Email the Attendance Office at [email protected]
OR, Voicemail 970-259-1630 ext. 2312. If the mailbox is full, use ext. 2313.
INFORMATION REQUESTED: Your student's name, date of absence, and reason for absence (e.g. medical appointment, illness (include symptoms), or other reasons). If no reason is given, your student’s absence will be marked UNEXCUSED.
Please be specific when reporting illnesses.
DOCUMENTATION
According to District Policy JH, we may require suitable proof regarding excused absence reasons.
The first 5 “contacts” a parent or guardian makes each semester to the attendance office will not require documentation to excuse an absence for the reasons listed in District Policy JH. A contact to the attendance office could be an appointment that requires a missed class period, or a single illness that spans several days.
After the first 5 “contacts” in a semester to the attendance office, DHS will request documentation to excuse any future absences listed in District Policy JH. Examples of documentation could be a provider/doctor's office note, letter from an attorney for court, etc. Please email the documentation (preferred) or have your student drop it off at the front desk.
EARLY CHECKOUT
Permission to Leave DHS Campus - Please email/call DHS Attendance on the morning of the appointment/early checkout, even days before. Attendance staff will enter a note in IC to show proof of permission from parents/guardians. Teachers can see the note in their IC roster and will allow your student to leave at your designated time.
PREARRANGED ABSENCES
DHS Prearranged Absence Form (linked below) must be turned in to the office with all required signatures (parent & all teachers/classes affected by the absence) 5 business days before the absence. The form will then be reviewed by the grade level administrator for a determination on whether or not the absence will be excused.
Documentation should be submitted along with the prearranged absence form (e.g. club sport competition, internship acceptance, conference registration confirmation).
In alignment with District Policy JH, below are examples and non examples of prearranged absences:
- Prearranged or absence approved by the administrator of the school for appointments or circumstances of a serious nature only which cannot be taken care of outside of school hours
- examples: cultural ceremonies, family emergency, moving, hunting trip, drivers license test, bereavement
- non examples: oil change, drivers permit test
- Prearranged absence approved by the administrator of the school to attend activities of an educational or extracurricular nature.
- examples: devo race, dance competition, club sports, science fair, college tour (up to 2 days)
- non examples: family vacation
- *pre-arranged family vacations will be entered as unexcused, but will have no academic consequences such as weighted grades or makeup work
FINAL EXAMS
The expectation is that students take finals during the scheduled time. Exceptions will be considered for documented extenuating and unavoidable circumstances. The process is outlined in the DHS Student Handbook and must be completed a minimum of two weeks in advance of final exams.
ATHLETICS
Students who are participating in school-sponsored sports or activities are excused by the head coach/sponsor. The dismissal time and list of participants is provided to the attendance office by staff, and the parent/guardian does not need to notify DHS of the absence.
WEIGHTED COURSES
The following courses receive a weighted grade: Advanced Placement (AP), Concurrent Enrollment (through Pueblo Community College or Fort Lewis College), and Honors. Requirements to earn a weighted grade:
- Receive a ‘C’ or higher
- Have 5 or fewer unexcused absences in a semester
- If a student exceeds 5 unexcused absences in a class with a weighted grade, in a semester, the student will not receive a weighted grade in that class for that semester.