North Kitsap School District

We want to see your student at school all day every day! Good attendance matters for student success starting as early as kindergarten. By middle school and in high school, poor attendance is a leading indicator of student dropout. Excused and unexcused absences can quickly add up to too much time spent out of the classroom.

Studies show that students are at risk academically if they miss 10% of the school year, about 18 days. Did you know that missing just one or two days a month can add up to 10% of the school year? Once too many absences have occurred, even sporadically, they can affect learning.

State Law – Becca Bill

State law requires schools to take daily attendance and notify you when your student has an unexcused absence. If your student has three unexcused absences in one month, we are required to schedule a conference with you and your student to identify the barriers and supports available to ensure regular attendance.

In elementary school, if you student has more than 7 excused absences in any month, or 15 excused absences in the school year, we are required to contact you to schedule a conference with you and your student at a reasonable convenient time. This conference is intended to identify barriers to regular attendance and identify supports available to ensure regular attendance.

Not later than the seventh unexcused absence within any month during the school year, or a fifteenth unexcused absence during the current school year, if our attempts to substantially reduce a student’s absence has not been successful and if the student is under the age of 17, we are required to file a petition and supporting affidavit for a civil action in juvenile court.

Our excused and unexcused attendance policy (policy 3122) and accompanying procedure (policy 3122P) outlines the details of attendance reporting under Washington State Law.