At HCS, we cherish our partnership with families. We will be seeking your help in the event that your child becomes Habitually Truant. Wisconsin State Statute requires compulsory school attendance and defines Habitual Truancy as “a pupil who is absent without an acceptable excuse for part or all of 5 or more days on which school is held during a school semester”.

You can take steps to prevent your child from becoming Habitually Truant by:

· Contacting the HCS main office every time your child is not in attendance.

· Working with your school when they contact you by phone, email or letter regarding your child’s attendance.

· Reaching out to Ms. Alexis, School Social Worker, if you have concerns about your child’s attendance.

In the event your child does become Habitually Truant, Highland is required to begin the Habitual Truancy Process.

This process consists of four parts:

· A notification will be sent, by first class mail, when your child becomes Habitually Truant.

· A conference will be arranged that requires your involvement, during which your child’s attendance will be discussed, and we will work together to find solutions that address the truancy.

· An Attendance Improvement Plan will be developed at the conference focusing on those solutions.

· Your child’s attendance will be monitored for improvement, and a 4-6 week Review Conference will be arranged that requires your involvement.

The purpose of the Habitual Truancy Process is to identify the cause(s) of attendance problems and identify supports within the school and community that can assist your student and family.

IMPORTANT: All students who are classified as being Habitually Truant are in violation of Wisconsin law, and as such the student, and their parent(s)/guardian(s), may be required to appear in court. Depending upon the age of the student and circumstances related to the absences, the court may levy sanctions and require that the parent/guardian cause the child to attend school. In addition, the court may order sanctions requiring that the student receive counseling and/or perform community service.

You must contact the school every day that your child will not be in school.

Families must contact the school office by 8:00 AM if your child is going to be absent. You can call the student absence line, (414) 342-1412 option 1, at any hour and leave a voicemail containing: student’s name, parent/guardian name, teacher’s name, reason for the absence including symptoms (if applicable).

Any unreported absences are considered unexcused.

Truancy is defined as any absence from school for part or all of one or more days without contacting the school in writing or by phone to explain the absence. Absences beyond the ten (10) excused allowable by Wisconsin §118.15 are considered “unexcused” and may be viewed in the same manner as a truancy when pertaining to attendance expectations and legal requirements.

School Hours

The school day hours for each program/age group are as follows:

· Toddlers: 8:00 am-3:30 pm

· K3: 8:30 am-11:30 am

· K4-6th: 8:30 am- 3:30 pm

· 7th-8th: 8:10 am- 3:35 pm

All students arriving more than 5 minutes after the school day start time should be brought to the main entrance by an adult. Students will be given a tardy slip and marked tardy in our attendance system. If you know you will be tardy and your student needs a hot lunch, you must call the school by 8:15am. You must contact the school every day that a child will be tardy. If you do not notify the school by 8:15am, please bring your child a cold lunch.

If your student has excessive tardies, you will be contacted by the School Social Worker and a conference may be scheduled to problem-solve and create an attendance support plan for your child.