Email [email protected]Call (425) 456-6002

Attendance Policy Summary

View Policy 3122

Regular and punctual attendance is vital to your child’s progress. Washington State law required that children attend school. We are required, by law, to track absences and identify them as excused and unexcused.

EXCUSED ABSENCES include illness, medical or dental appointments, religious observances and family emergencies. Please report your child’s absence or late arrival by one of the following two methods prior to 8:00AM:

  • Call our Attendance Hotline at 425-456-6002 OR;
  • Email our Attendance Hotline at [email protected]

FAMILY VACATIONS should be planned for non-school days. If there is a special reason for an absence on a school day (e.g. family trip), please print/pick up and complete a Request for Excused Absence form from the Office at least one week prior to the absence and return to the Office. Your child’s teacher will review your situation to determine whether the absence will adversely affect learning. Based on this information, the principal/assistant principal will determine whether the absence will be excused or unexcused. Prearranged absences due to vacation for more than five days in a school year will not be approved. Failure to follow procedure will result in an unexcused absence. Students may be approved for five (5) prearranged absences per school year.

UNEXCUSED ABSENCES: State law requires that we follow specific steps for unexcused student absences, including parent conferencing. Students who have ten unexcused absences fall under the BECCA law and must be referred to the courts.

MAKE-UP ASSIGNMENTS: When your child returns from an excused absence, the teacher will provide make-up assignments, as appropriate. Make-up assignments are not provided in advance.

Any other missed days moving forward for non-school reasons or those outside the VALID EXCUSE POLICY will be unexcused absences.

Thank you for doing all that is possible to have your child at school every day, on time. The early release Wednesdays (12:15pm dismissal) are a good time to schedule necessary appointments.

The Bellevue School District acknowledges that we learn, work, live and gather on the Indigenous Land of the Coast Salish peoples, specifically the Duwamish and Snoqualmie Tribes. We thank these caretakers of this land, who have lived and continue to live here, since time immemorial.