Attendance

Attendance Guidelines

SAFE ARRIVAL

There are 3 lawful ways to notify the WCASD when a student is absent. A parent/guardian/caretaker can:

Log in to Parent Portal and enter the correct code for the absence (directions for Parent Portal Attendance.) Using the Parent Portal or emailing the attendance office eliminates the need to send an excuse note, except for family vacations, college visits, or doctor’s appointments.
Email the attendance office at: rhsattendance@wcasd.net. The email from the parent account is accepted as a parent note.
Please call the school's safe arrival hotline, (484) 266-4310, by 7:30 a.m. and leave a message with the student’s name, date, and reason for the absence. When your child returns, please send in a completed excuse form.

WCASD Attendance Guidelines

Please review the update to the district’s Attendance Administrative Guideline regarding absences, early dismissals, and tardies. Families have a total of fifteen parent notes or a combination of up to five family vacation days and ten parent notes per year.

EARLY DISMISSALS

Rustin High School will no longer be using PickUp Patrol for early dismissals. Students will not be permitted to leave school before dismissal unless a request from a parent or guardian is received in advance and meets the criteria outlined below.

How to Submit an Early Dismissal Request

Requests must be submitted before 8:30 a.m. to the RHS Attendance Office via one of the following methods:

Email to the RHS attendance email RHSattendance@wcasd.net
Written note: Delivered by the student to the Attendance Office by the student

Each request must include:

Student’s full name
Parent/guardian signature
Reason for the early dismissal
Contact phone number for the parent/guardian

Note: Early dismissals are considered unlawful unless they qualify as an excused or lawful absence under Policy 204 AG and all procedures are followed.

Dismissal Process

Once the early dismissal is approved, students must pick up a dismissal pass from the Attendance Office before their scheduled dismissal time. This pass must be shown to their teacher in order to leave class. It is the student’s responsibility to be aware of their dismissal time and to pick up the pass in advance. Parents and guardians please remind students of dismissal times.
Classrooms will not be interrupted to call students to the office. It is the student’s responsibility to be aware of their dismissal time.
Students must sign out at the Attendance Office before leaving the building.
If a student is returning to the building after their appointment, they must sign in at the Attendance Office and bring proof of the appointment.

Important Reminders

Early dismissals will only be granted for urgent reasons, such as doctor or dental appointments that cannot be scheduled outside of school hours or immediate family emergencies.
Students must leave the building immediately after signing out.
Parents do not need to enter the building to sign out students. They may wait outside at the front entrance.
Students sent home by the school nurse due to illness are not permitted to return to school or participate in any school activities for the remainder of the day.

The administration reserves the right to deny any early dismissal request.

LATE TO SCHOOL (TARDINESS)

Lateness to school can only be excused for these reasons:

A doctor’s appointment (bring in doctors note)
Weather so inclement as to endanger the health of the child
Legal appointments with documentation (court appearances, driver’s examinations, etc.)

Students who arrive late to school due to one of these reasons, must send in documentation to excuse the lateness. All other reasons given for being late to school are not excused. All students should follow the late to school sign in procedures in the Attendance Office. Every time a student accumulates 8 unlawful late arrivals to school, a late room shall be assigned. The number of unlawful late arrivals to school will be reset each semester.

FAMILY VACATIONS

COLLEGE VISITS (noncumulative)

CUMULATIVE ABSENCES

Cumulative absences refer to days that contribute to the allotted number of days a student may be absent.

Excused absences: Those absences where any licensed practitioner of the healing arts or upon any other satisfactory evidence furnished shows that a student is unable to attend school and/or classes or is prevented from study because of illness or other urgent reasons including but not limited to the following (The term “urgent reasons” shall be strictly construed and is not intended to permit irregular attendance.):

A maximum of ten (10) days absence for students verified by a parent note. All absences beyond the seventh day of absence will require a physician’s note.
Family vacation, pre-approved by the principal, while school is in session, up to a maximum of five (5) days per school year. The following will be taken into consideration by the principal in granting permission:

- The student’s attendance record
- The students’ academic standing
- The effect the absence will have on the student’s educational welfare.

In lieu of family vacation days, parents may use the five (5) designated days as parent notes for illness or other urgent reasons previously listed. No more than fifteen (15) total days may be excused via a parental note.

Unexcused/Unlawful absences: Any absence which does not meet the definition of an excused absence includes but is not limited to the following:

Any absence for which a written excuse is not submitted within three (3) school days of a student’s return from an absence, including notes from physicians.
Any absence not excused by a note from a licensed practitioner of the healing arts after ten (10) or fifteen (15) total days of absences verified by receipt of parental excuses.
Truancy – Frequent or prolonged absence without satisfactory reason, or willful violation of the compulsory attendance laws which are subject to the penalties provided for in the school laws of Pennsylvania.
Class cut.
Unlawful tardies and/or early dismissals as set forth herein.

- A tardy is defined as a minimum of one minute of lateness to school. An early dismissal is considered leaving prior to the end of the school day more than 60 minutes early. Eight (8) tardies to school and/or early dismissals will be considered one (1) unlawful absence in grades K-8.
- Unlawful tardies and cutting class in grades 9-12 will be handled under discipline as a Level One offense.

Any absence due to a family vacation while school is in session after the fifth of the five (5) day maximum per school year.

For students who are 18 or older and not of compulsory age, unlawful absences shall be unexcused absences.

NON-CUMULATIVE ABSENCES

Non-cumulative absences are absences that do not contribute to the specified days students may be absent.

1. Suspensions from school.
2. Illness verified by a note from a licensed practitioner of the healing arts submitted within three (3) days of a student’s return.
3. Death in the family (with note).
4. Religious holidays (with note).
5. Pre-approved college visits (official form available online).

Form must be pre-approved by an administrator prior to the visit.
College Visit Permission/Verification Form 204AG2 must be returned to attendance office after visit to count as a noncumulative absence.

The Board will recognize other justifiable absences for part of the school day. These shall include medical or dental appointments, court appearance, family emergency and approved activities.

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