Attendance
Regular school attendance is vital for providing your child with a solid foundation for a happier and more successful future. Truancy is an unexcused absence from school. Habitual truancy has been linked to trouble with the law, gang involvement, low self-esteem, and alcohol and drug use/abuse. Students who are truant often fail to earn the necessary credits for graduation and drop out of school. This can place them at a severe disadvantage because students often lack prerequisite skills needed to gain employment and develop into well adjusted, successful contributing members of the community.
Parents have the legal responsibility to ensure their children attend school. As the K-8 Attendance Officers, a large part of our roles with Kenosha Unified is helping parents and students overcome any obstacles that are inhibiting or standing in the way of regular attendance. These obstacles are diverse and may be anything from classroom difficulties, learning concerns, family problems, divorce, money issues, troubles with peers, harassment, poor social skills, to mental illness. School staff, district and community programs can help children and families cope with these concerns and improve school attendance.
If your child is not attending school regularly, seek the help of your school principal, teachers, counselor and social workers. Early intervention is the key to helping students overcome attendance issues and become healthy, positive and productive members of our community.
Contact
- Jamie Gerou
K-8 Attendance Officer
jlgerou@kusd.edu
262-359-8909 - Tiffany Taylor
K-8 Attendance Officer
ttaylor@kusd.edu
262-359-8908
Links
- KUSD Attendance Boundaries
- Wisconsin State Statute 118.15 – Compulsory school attendance.
Did You Know
- Wisconsin allows 10 excused absences per school year
- After 10 days, students need a medical excuse, or it will be unexcused
- Chronic absenteeism (more than 10 absences) could result in a court referral
- No call, no shows are considered truancy – you must notify the school office of all absences
- Vacations count toward absences, whether excused or unexcused
- Missing 10% (~2 days monthly) can drastically affect a student’s academic success
Quick Tips
- Build a school routine to ensure success
- Lay out clothes the night before to get to school on time
- Schedule appointments on days off or after school
- School counselors are available to help
- Have a backup plan to get children to school if something arises at home
- Easily report absences through the Infinite Campus app