Attendance

In order to achieve our ambitious goals, scholars at Tulsa Legacy Charter School must be in school, ready to learn, every single day. The instructional day is 7.5 hours long, starting at 8:00am and ending at 3:30pm. Consistent and punctual attendance is of vital importance in order to receive maximum benefit from the instructional program, develop habits of punctuality, respect, self-discipline and responsibility, and to assist in keeping disruption of the educational environment to a minimum. Regular attendance is mandatory and poor attendance will not be tolerated. Scholars are expected to attend classes regularly and be on time to each class.

Families should not schedule vacations and non-emergency appointments during school time. Families should take advantage of holidays, school vacations, and staff professional development days to schedule appointments and travel.

At Tulsa Legacy Charter School, the learning begins when scholars walk in the door. A strong start to the day includes a consistent routine that involves eating breakfast, having time to settle into class, and participating in the connections that take place in homeroom/advisory classes every morning. Late scholars miss essential reading instruction, disrupt the learning of other children, and risk falling behind on our ambitious curriculum. Therefore, being tardy is unacceptable.

Tardiness will lead to a loss of privileges for scholars throughout the year. For Upper Academy students, tardiness may impact their eligibility for high school placement.

We are intently focused on student achievement. As a result, scholars are expected to stay in school until the very end of the day. Early pickups are disruptive to the learning environment.

Any day your child does not attend school is considered an absence. Scholar illness (with doctor’s note) or a death in the family (with parent/guardian’s notes) are all considered absences at Tulsa Legacy Charter School. All types of absences contribute to the scholar’s total absence.

However, Tulsa Legacy Charter School will accept doctor’s notes, other official documentation, and written parent excuses within 48 hours of return from the absence to track for potential truancy requirements. Upon return to school, the scholar must submit a note of explanation signed by a parent/guardian to the main office. All absences must be documented at the school through a written/typed, signed letter from a parent/guardian. In order for an absence to be excused, the absence must be accompanied by approved documentation (ex. A doctor’s note).

The school will keep records of all scholar absences. If a scholar misses school, Tulsa Legacy Charter School staff will make reasonable efforts to contact the scholar’s parent/guardian by telephone, writing, or in person. Staff will explain the school’s attendance policy and request the parent/guardian’s strong support in enforcing this policy. All questions regarding scholar attendance and attendance records should be directed to the school’s main office. Scholar absences will be documented with the attendance codes listed above, for the purposes of tracking truancy requirements.

All notifications regarding dismissal mode changes, absences, leaving early, arriving late, etc. must go through the main office rather than through the classroom teacher or your scholar. 

Given the importance of attendance, updates/communication may:

Scholars are counted absent for a half day if they miss more than one-third or 75 or more minutes, of any half of the day, resulting in an Incomplete. This policy applies to both late arrivals, mid-day absences, and early dismissals. Two (2) incomplete days are counted on a scholar’s record as one (1) absence.

Scholars who accumulate 20 or more absences in a given school year will be candidates for retention. 

Please note for the purposes of this policy, Tulsa Legacy Charter School does not distinguish between excused and unexcused absences. Exceptions to this policy are made on extremely rare occasions for long-term hospitalizations, court-mandated appearances, religious observances, and other exceptional circumstances approved by the Principal or Executive Director. 

Additionally, scholars are afforded rights under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act should their absences be related to a disabling condition.

If a scholar is absent for the first five days of school, or at least ten consecutive days during the school year, and there has been no successful contact between the family and the school to explain his or her absences, that scholar may lose his or her seat at Tulsa Legacy Charter School and may be considered un-enrolled from the school.

According to 70 O.S. §10-105, all scholars under 18 are expected to be in school. All scholars under the age of 18 will be expected to comply with these laws and the school will follow procedures set out in 70 O.S. §10-106 if the scholar does not comply with the law. In cases of truancy, the Principal (or her/his designee) will investigate the situation. Tulsa Legacy Charter School operates in compliance with 70 O.S. §10-106 requirements, which can include mandated reporting of truancy to appropriate state agencies.