Attendance

Our staff works hard to provide meaningful instruction every hour of every day. We expect our students to have good attendance so they may participate fully in the learning process. 

Reporting an absence

On the day your child is absent, please call the attendance line at 763-391-8890, wait for the prompt, and then press 1. 

Attendance procedures

School attendance is a joint responsibility to be shared by the student, family and school personnel. Students 18 years of age must follow the same attendance procedures as all other students.

• Student responsibility: Students are required to attend school each day school is in session and to attend all scheduled classes and/or required programs. 
• Family responsibility: It is the responsibility of the family to ensure the student attends school, to inform the school in the event of a student absence, and to collaborate with the school to address student attendance concerns that may occur.
• Teacher responsibility: It is the teacher's responsibility to maintain accurate attendance records, start and end each class on time, and communicate attendance concerns with students, families, attendance personnel, and administration.
• School responsibility: It is the responsibility of the school to inform the family of the student's attendance concerns and to collaborate with the family to interrupt patterns of student absences. Final decisions regarding excused/unexcused absences are made by building administration.

Absence reasons

Any absence (except those designated with an *) will count against credit-earning class minutes. All absences may count for filing of a truancy petition with Hennepin County. Absences from school are only to be used for:

• Illness
• Religious instruction (not to exceed three hours per week)
• Family vacation, provided prior approval has been obtained
• Serious illness or death of a family member or close relative
• Appointments that cannot be scheduled outside of class periods
• Approved school activities*
• Family emergencies
• Court appearances
• Suspensions*

*Absence does not count against time

Fifteen consecutive absences automatically results in termination of enrollment from Osseo Area Learning Center. Students who have been terminated or have withdrawn from the school and wish to continue must apply and re-enroll. 

Suspension/Administrative Dismissal

Students who are absent from scheduled classes due to suspension or administrative dismissal must make up any missed work with their teacher.

Tardiness

Students are expected to be in class on time with appropriate materials and ready to learn. There are no passes allowed during the first 10 minutes and last 10 minutes of each class. Students should use passing time wisely to minimize classroom disruptions. We have the longest passing time in the district and are firm in our expectation that students arrive to class on time. 

Students who are tardy to class will be subject to disciplinary action, including (but not limited to) in-school suspension. Students who are late to class must report to the attendance office and receive a "late pass" and bring it directly to class. Students who are deemed excessively tardy either by the number of tardies or the length of tardiness will be assigned in-school suspension. This will be done at the discretion of school administration and in the interest of reversing the pattern of not being in class when assigned.

Truancy

Truancy is defined as an absence of one or more entire class periods without the approval of building administration. The authority to decide whether an absence is excused or unexcused rests with the school administration.

Except in rare situations with administrative approval, students must attend a full class period before receiving make-up work for days missed. In situations where students have been truant multiple days, the teacher will typically provide the student make-up work in smaller chunks as opposed to providing all work at once. This procedure was instituted to address some students' being chronically absent and then trying to collect work and complete credits at the last minute. At OALC, you must attend class to be successful.

Signing out

Osseo Area Learning Center is a closed campus. On rare occasions, if a student needs to leave the building during scheduled class time, they must first get administrative approval and sign out at the front desk. No transportation will be provided for students leaving early. Students leaving the building without permission and/or signing out will not be allowed to return for any remaining classes for that day or ride a bus home.