Attendance Requirements

Attendance: State of Tennessee Voluntary PreK Policy

The TNVPK Program is a voluntary program, funded by the State Department of Education. Parents may withdraw their child at any time. However, if you accept enrollment in the program, attendance is expected. According to state guidelines, full-time enrollment is required for entry into the program and excessive unexcused absences or tardies could result in parent conferences and potential dismissal from the program.

Your child’s growth and development is best supported through consistent participation in class. Additionally, establishing with your child a pattern of consistent attendance at school will support them in developing strong school habits. Therefore, our district has adopted the following PreK attendance policy in accordance with the guidance from the Tennessee Department of Education:

Excused absences

The following are examples of acceptable reasons for excused absences:

• The child has a personal illness or injury;
•  The child has other ongoing health-related ailments which temporarily prevent attendance;
• The child contracts a communicable disease (virus or flu);
• Religious observances;
• Death in the family;
• Limited medical/dental/therapy appointments (these should be made outside school hours unless necessary);
• Other reasons as approved by the site-level administrator.

Required procedures

• Communicate with your child’s teacher when your child is absent.
•  Submit appropriate documentation to excuse the absence to the school office.
•  If you have any questions or concerns regarding your child’s attendance, please contact the front office at your child’s school.
• If you anticipate an ongoing attendance issue, please notify your child’s teacher.

Procedures for absenteeism

• If a child has four (4) or more unexcused absences within a 1 month period of time, the building-level administrator (or their designee) will contact the parents/guardians to determine the child’s participation status. These contacts or attempts to contact will be documented and submitted to the PreK Social Worker.
• If a child has five (5) or more unexcused absences in a three (3)-month period, the PreK social worker will contact the family to develop an attendance plan.
  
  • The attendance plan should be designed to help the family establish regular attendance or, if necessary, to plan for alternative services. The attendance plan should be developed by the family and appropriate school personnel, including, but not limited to: the child’s primary pre-k teacher; the site-level administrator; the IEP team (if applicable); and additional staff serving the school and family, which may include a counselor, social worker, family support personnel, teacher assistant, or other school staff supporting the child and family. The attendance plan should:
    
    • Identify the reasons for the unexcused absences;
    • Include a specific plan and date for establishing regular attendance or alternative services that meet the child’s educational goals; and
    • Include documentation of services and student outcomes to determine effectiveness of the attendance plan.

Removal from program due to absences

Every effort will be made to ensure your child has access to a quality school program. However, these spots are made available through a state grant and are limited by funding. Students who have more than five (5) unexcused absences per month, or ten (10) unexcused absences in a year, may be terminated from the program for failure to follow the district pre-k attendance policy.

Re-entry following removal due to absences

When a child is dismissed from the program, a waiting list applicant who meets eligibility determinations for the VPK program may fill the vacant position. Future eligibility for the terminated child to re-enter the program will depend upon vacancies. The student will also be required to adhere to a 30-day waiting period and a parent conference to establish an attendance agreement. The parent/guardian will be required to fulfill the terms of the attendance agreement, or their student may be dismissed from the program.