GAVC ATTENDANCE POLICY
2023-2024
At GAVC, we believe that student attendance is an integral part of the total learning experience. A student learns and experiences something new each day; therefore, it is imperative that a student be in attendance to take advantage of the educational opportunity.
Frequent absence from work is one of the primary causes for employee terminations. When hiring Center graduates, employers inquire about the individual’s attendance record at school. The primary purpose of the Center is to prepare students for success in the world of work. Since regular attendance is of utmost importance to future employment, the following Attendance Policy has been established.
A. Excused – Unexcused Absences
A student may accumulate fifteen (15) absences from GAVC throughout the school year. After a student’s fifteenth absence, the student is considered “excessively absent,” and any and all absences without documentation, in addition to parent phone call, will be considered unexcused. Unexcused absences do not allow for students to makeup work or lost opportunities to earn missed credits. Students excessively absent may be removed from the Center pending a review with the student’s home school and become ineligible to return for a second-year program.
B. Documenting Absences
Students absent from GAVC will be marked absent (excused) for up to fifteen (15) absences reported by a parent phone call. After the fifteenth absence, the student will be marked absent (unexcused) unless official documentation is provided to GAVC. Any official documentation provided must be submitted to the GAVC within 48 hours of the student’s return. Parents/Guardians must notify GAVC and also the student’s home school of any absence from GAVC to avoid possible discipline from home school.
C. Tardies
GAVC students receive a professional development soft skills grade. Punctuality, or being on time, is one part of this grade. Please see the Professional Development Rubric on page 4 of this Handbook for further details pertaining to how students are graded based on their punctuality. You may access your student’s grade by utilizing our online information system at www.PowerSchool.com or through the link provided on the GAVC webpage at www.gavc-il.org. Should your student receive a 4th tardy, GAVC will send a referral to the home school for further disciplinary action. Students who continue to accumulate tardies may be issued detentions, in-school suspensions, out of school suspensions, and ultimately program removal should the problem not be rectified. Parent phone call does not guarantee an excusal of a tardy. Examples of unexcused tardy with parent phone call include examples such as “slept in”, “didn’t leave in time for traffic”, “didn’t leave work in time”, etc. Suspensions at the Center will disqualify the student from receiving the Excellent Attendance Rewards.
PROCEDURES
A. The Attendance Policy will be signed by student and parent and submitted electronically or in paper form within the first week of school.
B. The Dean of Students will serve as attendance officer to review unusual circumstances and to decide upon the application of the policy to situations which may not be specifically covered by the written policy.