To excuse your student’s absence please call 425-936-1607, email JHS-Attendance@lwsd.org, or provide a written note.

Regular school attendance is important for all students and chronic or excessive absenteeism, whether excused or unexcused, has been correlated with lower assessment scores and lower graduation rates. As such, students are expected to attend all assigned classes each day.

Students may be excused from attendance subject to approval by the student’s parent or guardian and the school principal or designee based on valid excuse criteria outlined in regulation JED-R.

Attendance will be taken daily in class. Teachers are responsible for taking accurate attendance. An absence is missing a class altogether or missing more than half of a class period. All students arriving late MUST sign in at the Attendance Office (even if they arrive during a passing period). Parent communication is required for early dismissal prior to the time of dismissal

Parents/guardians must notify the school in person, by phone, written note, or email within 48 hours of an absence. The reason (i.e. illness, medical appointment, religious observance, legal appointment, etc.) for the absence must be communicated if they wish to have the principal consider it as an excused absence.

To arrange for late arrival or early dismissal parents/guardians should email, call the Attendance Office, or provide a written note with the student’s name, grade, planned arrival/dismissal time, and reason for late arrival/early dismissal. Parent communication is required for early dismissal prior to the time of dismissal. Students will receive a pass for early dismissals once parents/guardians have communicated with the Attendance Office. Students can get their pass before school, during passing period, or at lunch. Students will not be excused to leave campus unless they have a pass.

Students and their families are responsible for school attendance. When possible, the parent/guardian should notify the Attendance Office on the morning of the absence by phone, e-mail, or written note and to provide the excuse for the absence. If no excuse is provided with the notification the absence will not be excused.

Failure to provide a valid excuse (as defined in regulation JED-R) within 48 hours of the student’s return to school will result in the absence being marked as unexcused.   

If families have prior knowledge that their student will be absent, they should pre-arrange for the absence to be excused by completing a Juanita High School Pre-Arranged Absence Form 5 days prior to the absence. This allows the teachers an opportunity to give feedback on the effect the absence will have on the student. Teachers may use this as an opportunity to arrange make-up work times and locations. If the pre-arranged absence will result in the student being considered chronically absent, the pre-arrangement process must include a plan indicating how the student will maintain sufficient academic progress. Teachers are not required to provide classwork or assignments in advance of an absence.

Our students are encouraged to participate in a variety of school activities and must deal with important school business on occasion. These absences are excused and are not considered in the student’s total absences. The advisor or administrator is responsible for excusing the student.

Students will be allowed a reasonable opportunity to complete or turn-in assignments or tests missed during an excused absence. Assignments not completed because of an excused absence shall be made up in the manner provided by the teacher. A student will be allowed at least one makeup day for each day of absence. If a missed assignment or test cannot be replicated outside of the class period it was initially offered in, the teacher will either excuse that assignment or provide the student with an alternative assignment. Teachers are not required to allow make-up work for unexcused absences.