Children between the ages of 6 and 17 must attend school full time, under Chancellor's Regulation A-210. They are supposed to remain in school until the end of the year in which they turn 17. Exceptions apply to minors who have graduated from high school and students who are 16 or 17 and have a full-time employment certificate.

On this page: Acceptable absences | Notifying parents of absences | Absence Policy


Acceptable absences

Acceptable absences include those caused by a religious observance, a death in the family, or an illness. If your child is sick for three days or fewer, you need to call the school or send a note. For a longer illness, send in a doctor's note.

Be sure to notify the school whenever your child has a legitimate absence. Attendance is often a factor in middle and high school (and college) admissions, so you don't want legitimate absences recorded as "unacceptable". In addition, attendance is a factor schools consider when deciding whether to promote a child to the next grade.

Notifying parents of absences

You must be contacted if your child misses school with no explanation, according to Chancellor's Regulation A 210 4.5. If you cannot be contacted by phone by the second day that your child is absent, a postcard should be sent home.

Unfortunately, just because your child is marked present does not guarantee that he or she attended classes. High school students often report how easy it is for a student to go to school, be on hand for roll-call (usually 3rd period), and then slip out the back door.

State law requires schools to assist children who are chronically late or absent, according to Commissioner's Regulation 104.1 v-vi. Some parents, however, report frustration after asking a school to help get a frequently absent child back in class.

For a look at state regulations regarding attendance, go to the New York State Education Department's page on attendance.

Absence policy

Principals must identify attendance problems, under a new set of state regulations, Com. Reg. 104.1 h. The law also requires each school to conduct a public hearing to get feedback from parents and students before introducing a new attendance policy. It is the school's responsibility to make sure that parents understand the new policy.

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