Sometimes, missing school can be unavoidable. There are many reasons a student can miss school, whether excused or unexcused. If you are a concerned student or a parent who have found themselves in a situation whereby they will have to miss school for certain period of time, this article is for you.

Read more to find out the number of days you can miss school, the reasons you can miss school, and the consequences of missing school for a certain period of time.

How many days of school can you miss?

The number of days you of school you can miss will depend on the school and the state you live in.

For instance, in California, you can miss 10 days of school with excuse. Excuse here means a funeral with literature from the event, a doctor’s appointment with note, or a sick day for the student with a note from a parent. Excuse doesn’t mean the student’s dad’s car broke down and he or she couldn’t make it to school. Excuse here is a legal term.

After being absent for ten days, your school starts to get concerned. There is not certain number of days you miss and actually get into trouble. However, if you don’t go to school for 40 days and you are a senior, you will not graduate. If a poor student has many absences, the school administration will be more concerned that if it were an A student missing school. Either way, though, the district will be concerned. Keeping the admin in the know can prevent problems, but those pesky letters won’t stop.

If a student doesn’t go to school and goes on a vacation, the reason is not an excuse, but if you notify the school, your teachers can give you homework and also keep you updated. The school personnel are aware that things happen, so that will not let you get into any trouble.

However, if you have been absent for about 13 days, whether excused or unexcused, you will begin to get truancy letters from the school. These letters are automated letter sent from the software. The number of students that show up determine the school’s pay and they are audited every year, so if you are marked as being absent with excuse, a note has to come with it so that they can get paid. The school loses money for each excused absence, hence their strictness. Your excuse absence and that of others can add up and your school will never have enough money.

Why Going To School Regularly Is Important

Going to school regularly is the single most essential part of your education. You will learn a lot of new things at school every day. Attending regularly and participating in school activities will help you develop:

important skills and knowledge that will help you learn

Emotional and social skills such as resilience, good communication, and team work.

People who go to school every day and complete 12 years will have:

Better job opportunities

better health

Higher income throughout their lives.

There is actually no “good” number of days to miss school. For each day you don’t go to school, you lag behind.

How Many Days Of School A Child Can Miss In Middle School

Most parents usually find it difficult getting their child to school on time every day, and if you are like these parents, you may be worried about how many days your child can miss school. You may even find out that your child has been skipping classes for some days, or maybe you are planning a vacation or you have a family wedding or burial to attend. Whatever the issues is, here is everything you need to know about missing school in middle school.

About missing school in middle school, you will have to check with the kid’s school and/or the education code of the state you live in to find out the number of absences from school they allow in a school year.

While the school may not have a certain number of limit on excused absence from school, it is likely that the school will have a number of unexcused absence allowed. In the state’s education code, the state will set the number of unexcused absences they allow in a school year.

Typically, for government owned schools, the number of absences without excuses they can allow before they issue a penalty are three to five.

For instance, in California, the education code of the state states that if a student misses school for 3 full days in a year without a valid reason, that child will be classified a truant. The child will be reported to the attendance supervisor or district supervisor.

Valid reasons include, but are not limited to the situations set out in the states education code as an absence with excuse.

What the state considers as an excused absence allows the school administrators some discretion that is based on the circumstance of the student.

In California, a tardy student, who is absent for over a 30- minute period on a school day three times in the school year may be classified a truant.

However, in Georgia, if a student has five or more absences without excuse, that student is considered a truant.

Just like in California, Georgia also allows the school administrators to consider tardiness and period absences, such as a student skipping some classes as an unexcused absence.

Why Is School Attendance So Important?

Data shows that skipping school has a negative effect on students’ academic performance. The more classes and/or school days you miss, the more likely it is that you will lag behind academically.

The consequences of Truancy are even bigger. Strategies for Youth, a nonprofit organization, says that truant youths usually have emotional issues, which include low self-esteem, and most of them face social isolation.

Truant youths are also usually easily pressured by peers to engage in certain types of behaviours that prevent them from being successful in life.

Truancy is one of the predictors of teen substance abuse, teen pregnancy, and the child dropping out of school.

Children below twelve years old who are truants are very likely to become involved in criminal activities.

What To Do If Your Child Can’t Make It To School

If your child wouldn’t be able to make it to school that day, call the school and let them know immediately. Explain to them why your child can’t make it to school. Every school will have a way this is done. It may be by email or phone call.

If you fail to call the school, the school will contact you that day to make sure their student is fine. The school may also call the people on your emergency contact list.

Let the school know if your child needs to take some time off or a long period off. The school might have flexible notions to make sure your child does not fall behind.

Examples Of Situation That May Keep Your Child From Going To School

1. Sickness

Your child does not have to go to school if he or she is sick. It is important that that child is only absent on the days that he or she is really sick. The school might give them some home work so that they won’t lag behind.

2. Medical appointment

You should make medical appointments during holidays, before, or after school periods. If you cannot do this, let your child’s school know before the appointment.

3. Family holidays

You should take family vacations during school holidays and not when the school is in their term time. The school will decide it your child can miss any school day for the holiday.

They might also give the student some work to do so that they can learn what their mates are leading. If the school doesn’t not approve and you decide to go, the school might send you a warning or ask you to pay a fine.

4. A death in the family

If there is a death in the family and your child needs to be away from school, let the child’s school know and let them know how long your child will be away.

Your child’s school can offer counselling and help monitor your child’s wellbeing when they resume.

5. Truancy

Truancy is when a child misses school without his or her parents knowing or giving permission. The child’s school can help improve their attendance at school.

How To Improve Your Child’s Attendance At School

Find time to talk to your child about school and it’s importance. Ask the child how he or she feels about going to school, what he or she likes about school, and if they are facing any problems at school.

Do not reward bad behaviour. For example, if they chose not to go to school, deprive them of their access to their phones, iPads, or the internet.

Encourage them to take on hobbies that they enjoy such as games, sports, and clubs. Taking on hobbies will help your child develop positive relationships outside the school.

Set a time for their home works and time to go to bed. Make sure all their gadgets are not in their bedroom.

Ensure their school bag is packed the night before. The bag should contain everything they need.

Let them travel to school with a friend.

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