Attendance Policy F.A.Qs
Is there such a thing as an excused tardy?
No. If you have a Medical, Dental or Court appointment you must bring documentation to the attendance office upon arrival and you will be receive a "L" attendance code for "Late Arrival". Parents cannot clear Tardies after the fact and without documentation.
Oversleeping, traffic, car trouble, lack of ride or power outages, among other reasons, cannot excuse the tardy.
What if my bus is late?
The office is notified when busses are late. Students receive a "B" attendance code for Late Bus, and it doesn't count as a tardy.
If a school bus gets caught in traffic they don't get marked tardy but if I get caught in traffic then I get a tardy. Why is that fair?
Students who ride the bus do not get to choose when the bus leaves. They are on a set schedule. If you have private transportation you can control when you leave. Watch TV or listen to the radio for traffic reports and plan accordingly.
Do Saturday Schools erase tardies?
No. Saturday Schools can remove you from the loss of privilege list but the tardies still remain and will affect your grade.
Do my first semester tardies carry over to semester two?
No. You get a clean slate at the semester.
Do tardy counts start over at the grading period?
Yes. For example, if you have two tardies in Period 2 during the first 6 week grading period and then get one more during the second grading period you would not be on the LOP list because you have not accumulated three Period 2 tardies in one grading period. HOWEVER, once you are placed on the LOP list, you will stay on it until you are cleared by attending Saturday School.
How often will the LOP list be generated?
Once a week.
I'm an athlete. If I am put on the LOP list will I still be able to practice?
At the very minimum you will not be allowed to compete. The Serra Attendance Policy states that you will still be able to practice but you will not be able to compete. Coaches and Extra Curricular Advisors have the authority to go beyond the policy but they must at least abide by the minimum requirements.
The traffic light in front of the school takes too long. How can I get to school on time?
Plan ahead. If you know there is a constant problem with a crossing signal leave earlier to allow enough time.
Can I "bank" Saturday Schools in advance?
No. Saturday Schools can only clear you from the list once you get on it.
Will the LOP list affect my work permit status?
No. But if you have enough tardies to be put on the LOP list your Citizenship GPA may not be high enough to retain your work permit. If your Citizenship GPA drops too low your work permit will be revoked.
Isn't getting a Saturday School for 3 tardies a little excessive?
Not when you consider that a class meets a maximum of only 30 times during a grading period. 3 tardies means that a student has been late 10 percent of the time.
I got on the LOP List for getting three tardies in my first period class. I went to Saturday School to get off of the list. I just got my fourth tardy in period 1. Am I put back on the list?
No. The list works in multiples of three for period tardies and multiples of 10 for cumulative tardies.
How often is Saturday School?
Every other week. Check the Weekly Activity Calendar on the Serra Web Site for exact dates.
How was this policy created?
An attendance task force was created to examine attendance problems. The problem of excessive tardies was deemed to be the number one priority. A proposal was developed and shared with stakeholder groups such as The PTSA, ASB, Athletics Department and the Student Senate. Input was collected and the adjustments were made to the plan.
The attendance task force will continue to meet to analyze data, evaluate and modify the plan as needed. The task force will next address the problem of unverified absences.