Students must attend at least one day before October 1 to stay enrolled.

Missing the first 8 days of school (excused or not) means the student will not be enrolled unless a written agreement is made to start later.

Students absent for over 20 consecutive days will not be counted as enrolled unless:

There is a written agreement with the school that the absence will not harm the student’s progress.

The student receives home/hospital services and remains enrolled in the district.

Students who are absent more than 20 days without an agreement may me subject to unenrollment for non-attendance.

Students who are absent more than 20 days without an agreement may me subject to unenrollment for non-attendance.

School or district-approved activities or programs.

Illness, medical appointments (doctor, dentist, optometrist).

5 or more consecutive days require a doctor’s note.

Extended medical absences or recurring weekly or monthly appointments require a medical note from the medical provider.

Family emergencies or bereavements (more than 2 days need a Preplanned Absence form).

Court appearances or jury duty (official documents required).

Visits for post-secondary schools, apprenticeships, or scholarships (Preplanned Absence form needed).

State-recognized search and rescue activities (More than 2 days a Preplanned Absence form needed).

Absences related to homelessness, deployment of a parent/guardian, or student safety concerns (like bullying or threats).

Disciplinary or corrective actions.

Migrant status related absences.

Absences for faith or conscience reasons, up to 2 days per year (Preplanned Absence form needed). Including religious or cultural holidays or instruction.

Approved activities that support learning, community, or skills (More than 2 days a Preplanned Absence form needed).

Unsafe weather conditions affecting school transport.

One civic engagement activity per semester with advance notice (Civic Engagement Form).

Excused absences allow students to make up missed work within reasonable time limits.

Grades may be affected in participation-based classes if activities cannot be made up.

Parents/guardians must notify Attendance Office in writing, verbally, or electronically before the student leaves with as much advance notice as possible.  End of day early release requests must be received by the attendance office with at least 1 HOUR notice to the early release time.

If someone else picks up the student, they must be listed in the student record and show ID for safety.

Any absence not matching the excused reasons above is unexcused.

Absences without a valid reason or proper parent notification are unexcused (e.g., family trips, oversleeping, missing the bus, babysitting).

Missing most of the school day (4 or more classes) counts as an unexcused day, unless the absence in considered an excused absence.

Students MUST sign in at the attendance office EACH time they arrive at school late.  The attendance office is located in the lunchroom area.  There is always a sign in sheet on the counter.  Record student name, the time of arrival and the reason for the late arrival.

Students who arrive 10 mins or more late to school after the bell rings will be marked as absent unless the late arrival is a SPS approved excusal reason.

Students who arrive under 10 mins from the bell ringing will be marked as tardy.

Parent/guardian must notify the school within 2 days to excuse a tardy with a SPS approved excusal reason.

Schools may use tardies and early departures as part of attendance interventions

RHS requires a preplanned absence form to be submitted PRIOR for any absences that are 2 days or more.  You must submit a Preplanned Absence form at least 3 days before the absence occurs or the absence will be marked as unexcused.

The PPA form is presented to each teacher for their signature and allows an opportunity to make up any missed assignments.  The form can be found on our website and hard copies are located outside of the attendance office. A reason is required for any excusal and must fall within the districts approved criteria.  The absence is not guaranteed to be excused just because it was planned.  Missing 5 or more days from school will require Admin/Principal approval.

Pre-Planned Absence Form

Parent/guardian must notify the school within 2 school days after the student returns.

If absent 5 days in a row, a doctor’s note is required within 3 days of return.

The Teacher’s permission is needed to change a student’s attendance. If a student thinks they were marked absent or late by mistake, they can talk to the Teacher that marked them absent or late.  If the Teacher agrees the absence or late mark is a mistake, the teacher will contact the attendance office, and the attendance mark will be updated.

If the student was marked incorrectly by a Substitute Teacher that is no longer in the classroom the Teacher that is in the classroom will need to confirm there is an attendance error. ( Please ask your sub to make a copy of the paper attendance sheet for all classes before the sub submits to the attendance office )

Students can also pick up a teacher correction form at the attendance office to present to their teacher for signature. These forms are kept in a basket located outside of the attendance office.

To maintain eligibility for any game, meet, or competition:

We are no longer using paper game-day slips. The RHS Attendance Specialist will provide a game day attendance report for each specific game day, listing all student-athletes on the roster. This report will be sent to all coaches for review prior to the early sports release.

Students must attend all scheduled classes on the day of a contest.

If a student must miss part of the day due to a medical or dental appointment, they must provide a doctor’s note verifying the appointment to our attendance office (Ms. Sunshine Feldman) ( roosevelths.attendance@seattleschools.org) in order to remain eligible. A note from parents and family is not sufficient. This applies to Friday’s attendance for Saturday games as well.

Absences that are unexcused or unsupported by documentation will result in ineligibility for that day’s competition.

📚 Academic Eligibility Requirements

Eligibility standards are governed by WIAA, Seattle Public Schools, and the Metro League. Key expectations include:

• Student-athletes must meet 2.0 GPA requirements while failing at most 1 class. and demonstrate adequate academic progress toward graduation.
• Students failing to meet eligibility standards may be placed on probation or athletic suspension until they meet requirements.

Additionally, the SPS grade check system emphasizes multiple checkpoints throughout each specific season — athletes who do not meet academic standards at these checkpoints are ineligible until standards are met.

Thank you for supporting your student-athletes and helping us maintain a positive and healthy athletic environment this season.

Please reach out with any questions.

Go Riders!

Student should complete the PDF below and email it to Attendance. Please allow 3-5 days to process.

Attendance Notification Change

When do I come by the attendance window?
When you arrive late to school you MUST sign in each time.

When you need to drop off forms and or notes from parents and or pick up forms from the attendance specialist.

Do I sign in at the attendance when I’m late (any period)?
Yes, sign in at the attendance window when arriving late so that we can accurately reflect attendance.

What do I do if I was in class and marked absent?
Stop by the attendance window for an Attendance Correction slip. Teacher permission is needed to remove an absence or tardy. Or speak to your teacher to clear the mistake; your parent cannot clear/excuse the absence for you.

Which absences need a Preplanned Absence form versus email or note?
Any absences that is 2 or more days requires a Preplanned Absence Form.

What if I forget to hand in a Preplanned Absence form before an absence?
Your absences will stay unexcused until the attendance office receives the Pre-Planned Absence Form. You must submit 3 days before the absence occurs.

What if I have recurring medical appointments and want to leave the same time, same day, each week?
Make sure to have your parent/guardian send an email or note to the attendance office providing all necessary information along with a medical note from your medical provider to help support the recurring appointment.

When is it too late to excuse an absence?
Important: You now have two (2) days to update attendance from the date of absence. This is a new update.

What if I’m feeling sick at school and want to go home?
You must see the nurse, or their backup, and they will determine if you can be released to leave. They will contact your parent/ guardian and then notify the attendance office that you left early excused illness. 

Can my parent call so I can leave early when I feel sick?
So long as it meets the early dismissal guidelines… must be in advance (at least an hour).

What if my parents can’t pick me up; can someone else?
So long as “someone else” is listed as a contact in your record; or a written authorization is sent with the early dismissal request (email and phone calls are not accepted).

What if I walk out of class, or go to the bathroom and stay too long?
Your teacher will mark you left early unexcused or absent.  If you miss more than 10 minutes of class, you are considered absent from class. 

How is attendance updated for in-school participation/events (class meetings, Link Crew, PSAT, College/Career day, various individualized testing, etc.)?
Attendance is taken at the event, verified by organizers, then submitted to attendance for entry. Do not anticipate attendance updates the same day (check your SOURCE account to verify completion).

How is early dismissal for sports handled?
The coach submits a student roster to the attendance office; the attendance office will issue a game day attendance report to all coaches and update attendance accordingly for each student athlete on the roster.  Parents cannot excuse students for sports early dismissals.

Seattle Public Schools defines chronic absenteeism as a student missing \(10\%\) or more of the school year, which is roughly 18 days or more in a standard school year. This roughly averages out to about two missed days per month.

The following key details apply to this policy:

• All Absences Count: The 10% threshold includes all absences, regardless of the reason. These factors in excused absences, unexcused absences, and even out-of-school suspensions.
• Partial Days Matter: Missing class time (such as late arrivals or early dismissals) can also accumulate and be converted into full-day absences.
• Truancy is Different: Truancy refers specifically to unexcused absences. By Washington state and district guidelines, a student may be considered truant if they have 7 unexcused absences in a month or 15 unexcused absences in a school year.
• State & District Tracking: Both the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) and SPS monitor chronic absenteeism as a leading indicator of student equity, academic struggles, and drop-out risk.

How many absences in a month are considered chronic?

Missing just 2 days per month is widely considered the threshold for chronic absenteeism. In both educational and professional settings, this averages out to missing 10% or more of your total scheduled time for any reason (excused or unexcused)

The Impact of Chronic Absenteeism

Chronic absenteeism creates a cascading negative effect that impacts individual students, classroom environments, and long-term societal outcomes

Why Attendance and Chronic Absenteeism Matter:

Seattle Public Schools’ Commitment to Increasing Student Attendance and Reducing Chronic Absenteeism

Seattle Public Schools, along with the Puget Sound Educational Service District (PSESD) and neighboring districts, have committed to addressing chronic absenteeism.

Attendance has been proven to be one of the most powerful predictors of academic achievement and can have a dramatic impact on key milestones, including third grade reading, 9th grade achievement, high school graduation, and life success.

Chronic absenteeism is defined as a student missing 10 percent of school, regardless of the reason — that’s 18 days in a school year!

A focus on chronic absenteeism examines the link between loss of instructional time and academic achievement. An awareness of chronic absenteeism and its potential impact will empower students, families, and communities to make informed decisions regarding missing school.

We are dedicated to providing the best educational experience for our students and part of that is increasing attendance and reducing chronic absenteeism.

Truancy is when a student misses school without a valid excuse. Schools often treat excused and unexcused absences the same way when it comes to counting how often a student is absent. If a student misses a certain number of days, it can trigger a truancy process. This process involves the school documenting the absences and possibly reporting them to a state agency, local school district, or law enforcement. Chronic absenteeism, which includes both excused and unexcused absences, can affect a child’s success in school by reducing their learning time and opportunities for extra help.