Attendance

In accordance with the provisions of N.J.S.A. 18A:38-25, every parent, guardian, or other person having control and custody of a child between the ages of six and sixteen shall ensure their child regularly attends school. The Board of Education requires students enrolled in the school district to attend school regularly in accordance with the laws of the State.  

The state has included absentee data as an indicator of school quality and success.  Building level chronic absenteeism rates are calculated by dividing the number of chronically absent students during the school year by the total number of students enrolled in the school. This link will give you additional information regarding how the state will calculate absenteeism.  Please be aware that the New Jersey Department of Education recognizes only seven allowable reasons for an excused absence.

Attendance letters will continue to be generated through Genesis and contact either your school counselor or Vice Principal Matthew Agrati. Letters will be mailed home to students who are on track to be chronically absent. Just two absences per month will put a student at risk of being chronically absent. 

• Parents/Guardians should use the Genesis Parent Portal to notify the Attendance Office that their child is going to be absent for the day (click here for directions)
• Parents are able to choose the date(s) and input the reason
  • If appropriate documentation is not provided with specific dates when the student returns to school, (not to exceed five school days beyond the students return to school) the absence may or may not count toward loss of credit
• Failure of the parent/guardian to notify the Attendance Office of an absence will result in an automated call home to verify the student's absence

• Please do not submit early dismissal notes through Genesis
• These dismissals are only approved when a parent or guardian's permission note (stating the reason for dismissal) is submitted to the Attendance Office and verbally verified with the parent or guardian by the attendance secretary
• Students leaving early for the day must sign out through the Attendance Office when leaving
• Students must also sign in upon returning to school (if applicable)
• The student MUST be picked up by someone listed as an approved guardian or emergency contact in Genesis
• Students who leave prior to 12:20 PM will not receive credit for a full day of attendance

The New Jersey Department of Education recognizes only seven allowable reasons for an excused absence. Excused absences include:

1. Religious observance, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:36-14, 15, and 16.
   (a) The Commissioner, with approval of the State Board of Education, shall annually prescribe a list of religious holidays on which it shall be mandatory to excuse students for religious observance upon the written request signed by the parent or person standing in loco parentis;
2. Participation in observance of Veterans Day, which shall include attending a ceremony honoring a veteran or a member of the United States Armed Forces or the New Jersey National Guard returning from overseas deployments, or assisting a veteran at a hospital, food shelter, or any similar facility, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:36-13.2;
3. Participation in district board of election membership activities, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:36-33;
4. Take Our Children to Work Day;
5. College visit(s), up to three days per school year for students in grades eleven and twelve;
6. Closure of a busing school district that prevents a student from having transportation to the receiving school; and
7. Attendance at a civic event, one day per school year for students in grades six through twelve, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:36-33.2.
   (a) “Civic event” means an event sponsored by a government entity, a community-based organization, or a nonprofit organization that incorporates elements of service learning whereby students learn and develop through organized service. A civic event shall address an issue of public concern such as community health and safety or environmental, economic, or community well-being in accordance with N.J.S.A. 18A:36-33.1.
   (b) The parent of a student shall provide a signed written notice of an intended excused absence to attend a civic event at least five school days in advance of the intended excused absence and such other documentation as the Superintendent deems necessary to prove that the  student meets the requirements for an excused absence pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:36-33.2.b.

All other absences, including illness, out of school suspensions, vacations, student generated cut days etc. will be calculated as unexcused in the New Jersey Department of Education's attendance data.

“An excused absence” is a student’s absence from school for a full day or a portion of a day for the observance of a religious holiday pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:36-14 through 16, or any absence for the reasons listed below: 

1. Religious observance, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:36-14, 15, and 16.
   (a) The Commissioner, with approval of the State Board of Education, shall annually prescribe a list of religious holidays on which it shall be mandatory to excuse students for religious observance upon the written request signed by the parent or person standing in loco parentis;
2. Participation in observance of Veterans Day, which shall include attending a ceremony honoring a veteran or a member of the United States Armed Forces or the New Jersey National Guard returning from overseas deployments, or assisting a veteran at a hospital, food shelter, or any similar facility, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:36-13.2;
3. Participation in district board of election membership activities, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:36-33;
4. Take Our Children to Work Day;
5. College visit(s), up to three days per school year for students in grades eleven and twelve;
6. Closure of a busing school district that prevents a student from having transportation to the receiving school; and
7. Attendance at a civic event, one day per school year for students in grades six through twelve, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:36-33.2.
   (a) “Civic event” means an event sponsored by a government entity, a community-based organization, or a nonprofit organization that incorporates elements of service learning whereby students learn and develop through organized service. A civic event shall address an issue of public concern such as community health and safety or environmental, economic, or community well-being in accordance with N.J.S.A. 18A:36-33.1.
   (b) The parent of a student shall provide a signed written notice of an intended excused absence to attend a civic event at least five school days in advance of the intended excused absence and such other documentation as the Superintendent deems necessary to prove that the  student meets the requirements for an excused absence pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:36-33.2.b.

All other absences, including illness, out of school suspensions, vacations, student generated cut days etc. will be calculated as unexcused in the New Jersey Department of Education's attendance data.

If appropriate documentation is not provided with specific dates when the student returns to school, (not to exceed five school days beyond the students return to school) the absence may or may not count toward loss of credit.

• Any undocumented absence
• Family vacations
• "Cut days" that may, or may not, be related to the Junior or Senior Prom
• Performance of household duties or babysitting
• Missing more than 10 minutes of a class
• Absences during make-up snow/emergency days
• Any other reason that is not listed as an excused absence

• To receive credit for a course, a student must attend class on a regular basis and complete all requirements of the scheduled course  
• A student will not be granted credit toward graduation in a scheduled course after the unexcused absences exceed:
  • Seventeen (17) per year in a full year course
  • Eight (8) per semester in a semester course
• A secondary student who has been dropped from a course of study will be assigned to an alternate program such as restricted study
• A secondary student denied course credit may complete an online credit recovery program at the student's expense. Online credit recovery will be available to the student to begin once the original course has concluded; the courses cannot be taken simultaneously. Your child's school counselor can provide more specific information.
• A student may elect to participate in Physical Education (P/E) make up sessions
  • Two sessions must be made up for every one class that was missed

• Your child's Genesis account has an Attendance tab in the top header that will provide you with the total number of days absent as well as the total number of absences for each class
• It is possible your child may have a different number of absences in each class because of the rotational schedule
• Notification to parents/guardians about course totals and loss of credit is provided through the Letters tab in Genesis. Loss of credit letters are posted in Genesis and also mailed home. 

Randolph High School Attendance Secretaries

hs-attendance@rtnj.org

Donna Schaab, Secretary

(973) 361 - 0808 ext. 6508

dschaab@rtnj.org

Matthew Agrati, Vice Principal

(973) 361 - 0808 ext. 6202

magrati@rtnj.org