FPS Updated Attendance Policy

Dear FPS Families,

Regular, uninterrupted attendance at school is essential to successful learning. In addition, Connecticut state law requires that children, ages five through eighteen attend school regularly.

On Tuesday, November 15, the Fairfield Board of Education approved an updated Attendance Policy for implementation. We encourage families to review the complete policy as there are changes that affect student attendance.

Changes have been made regarding excused absences.

·         For absences one through nine, an absence is considered excused when appropriate documentation and notification are provided by the student’s parent/guardian, due to any reasons that the student’s parent or guardian approves.  

·         Appropriate documentation must be provided to the school within ten school days of the student’s return to school.

·         For the tenth absence and all absences thereafter, a student’s absences from school are considered excused, with notification within ten school days of the student’s return for the reasons outlined in pages (b) and (c) of the policy.

For further information regarding excused and unexcused absence guidelines from the state click here.

We would like to remind all families that chronic absence is defined as missing 10 percent or greater of the total number of days enrolled during the school year for any reason. It includes both excused, unexcused, out-of-school suspensions, and in-school suspensions that last more than one-half of the school day.

We appreciate your continued help in supporting student attendance.