Attendance Procedures

Students attending Ben Davis Ninth Grade Center are expected to meet the following guidelines in reference to their daily attendance.

• All students will sign a general attendance contract containing the expectations, procedures, and consequences for accumulated absences and/or AM tardies.
• Students with a previous history of poor attendance will meet with SWAT members during the first two weeks of school to discuss their attendance and sign a individual attendance contract that has been prepared to address their specific areas of needed improvement.
• The parent/guardian must call in the absence at 988-7600 between 7:00 and 11:00 a.m.
• Parents of absent students not accounted for by 9:00 a.m. will be called by the attendance secretary, if possible.
• Where no contact is made by either party, the student must have a written excuse when reporting back to school.
• Any student that arrives after 7:30 a.m. with no written documentation will be counted tardy and must sign-in in the 1st floor main office before reporting to class.  Students will be assigned disciplinary consequences for excessive AM tardies to school.
• All written documentation (medical or otherwise) to excuse absences must be submitted to the attendance secretary in the main office.  If no documentation is received, the absence will remain unexcused. 

The attendance procedures for students with an excessive amount of absences are as follows:

• Restriction of Work Permit/ Invalidation of Work Permit.
• Restriction from gaining Driver’s License or Permit/Invalidation of Driver’s License or Permit.
• Other school consequences including In-School Suspension.
• Restriction on participating in or attendance at extracurricular events.
• Referral to Truancy Court.
• Referral of Parent to court for Educational Neglect.
• Removal from regular school setting and placement in alternative school setting.

AM Tardy Policy

• The only excused tardies are doctor or dentist appointments with written statements or court appearances.
• Four AM tardies are allowed for illness, missing the bus, and the kinds of tardies which make students late to school.  However, anything over four is considered excessive.
• At the fifth AM tardy, students will be assigned a detention.
• At the eighth AM tardy, another detention will be assigned.
• At the tenth AM tardy, 1 day of in-school suspension will be assigned, and the parent will be called.
• Every third tardy thereafter will result in at least 1 day of in-school suspension with the possibility of multiple days.
• One a student has reached 15 AM tardies, the attendance procedures will begin starting with a probationary attendance contract, removal of work permit and driving license/permit privileges, and eventually lead to placement in an alternative program – see attendance procedures for students with an excessive amount of absences in the section above.