Administrative Procedures
All topics in this section:

• Attendance
• Behavior & Disclipine
• Expectations & Consequences
• Discipline Guidelines
• Bullying & Harassment
• Sexual Harassment
• Suspension
• Child Abuse & Neglect
• Curriculum
• Emergencies
• Enrollment

See also:
About Lanikai Elementary
Useful Resources

• Download Policy & Planned Extended Absence Form
• Download Planned Extended Absence Form only

The truant student develops weak bonds to the school and its norms and values. Chronic absenteeism, leading to poor academic performance and limited peer bonding, yields low educational aspirations and limited motivation. This places students at risk for behavior problems. Reference link: www.hawaii.edu/truancy/impact.htm

The Lanikai Elementary Public Charter School office staff is required to report all absences and tardies to the State of Hawaii. Parents must notify the office staff of a child’s absence whether or not the parent talks with the teacher. If a parent does not notify the school office staff about the reason for absence, the absence is unexcused and is considered to be a truancy.

SCHOOL ATTENDANCE & ABSENCES

Regular and prompt attendance is essential for successful academic achievement. The Department of Education and Lanikai Elementary Public Charter School are required by law to enforce compulsory attendance by monitoring all absences and tardies.

If a child will be absent, a parent/guardian must call the school attendance line (266-7844) by 8:30am on the day of the absence. If leaving a message, please include the child’s name, teacher’s name, and reason for the absence. Absences that are not excused will contribute to a student’s record of truancy.

Students who are not in line at assembly by 7:55am are tardy. The JPO team will send all tardy students to the office for a pass. Students who arrive after or leave before 11:30am will be marked absent.

EXCUSED & UNEXCUSED ABSENCES

Absences will be excused only for the following reasons:

• Personal illness or enforced quarantine (illnesses that last 5+ days may require physician’s note).
• Necessary emergency medical, dental, or optometric appointments that could not be scheduled at a non-school hour.
• Serious family emergency.
• Observation of a holiday or ceremony of the family’s religion.
• Planned extended absences that have been approved through the process below.
• Other justifiable reasons evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Any absence from school will be counted as an absence in all school records and when awards are given for perfect attendance. Teachers do not have the authority to excuse a student’s absence from school.

PLANNED EXTENDED ABSENCES

If you will need to take your child out of school for 5 or more days, please take the following steps:

• Obtain a copy of the Planned Extended Absence form from the school office.
• Meet with the teacher(s) so that you understand the academic work that will be required during the absence.
• Turn in the Planned Extended Absence form to the school office. A school administrator will review the form and approve or disapprove the absence. In the case if disapproval, the administrator will contact you for further discussion.

HOMEWORK REQUESTS

If your child is out and you would like to pick up homework, all requests must be called in to the office by 9:30am. Homework will be ready after the dismissal bell, and it must be picked up in the office. We cannot deliver it to siblings.

OFF CAMPUS/EARLY RELEASE PASS

Only parents/guardians or persons listed on the emergency card on file are authorized to pick up a child during school. To obtain an Off Campus/Early Release pass, parent(s) should write a note or call the office one day in advance. Please provide the child’s name, date, leaving time, reason, and person who will be picking up the student. Parents must also notify the teacher via phone call or note. The teacher will send the student to the office at the requested time. The office staff will have the pass ready. The parent/guardian/designated person MUST SIGN the school log before taking the child. Please be prepared to show a picture ID.

TRUANCY

Families will be notified by mail of excessive absences and tardies. Students with persistent attendance problems will be go through the process below. If the student was enrolled as a Geographic Exception (GE), excessive absences or tardies may result in revocation of the GE enrollment. If a child is persistently absent from school, “the student, father or mother, guardian, or person having charge of the child may be referred and summoned to court.”

# of Absences/Tardies	Action to be Taken
1st-4th	Information recorded in IST, teacher contacts parent/guardian.
5th	Attendance notice #1 sent home.
10th	Attendance notice #2 is sent home with a request for a conference. Parent/guardian is required to attend a conference with administration.
15th	Attendance notice #3 is sent home with a request for a 2nd conference. Parents/guardians are required to attend a conference with administration.
20th+	Attendance is closely monitored. If no improvement is noted, a Family Court Referral will be done and Geographic Exception status will be revoked.