Truancy 

Students who are absent without valid cause are considered to be truant. Any student who is absent from school without valid cause for 5% percent or more is considered to be a “chronic” or “habitual” truant. The Superintendent or designee will manage an absenteeism and truancy program in accordance with the School Code and School Board policy.

If a pattern of absences/truancy develops, District 113 will provide support by working with the student and their family/guardian(s) to determine the reason for the absences and provide supportive services and resources designed to improve attendance. Support services and resources may include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Interview with student and family/guardian(s) to discuss and address absences
2. Attendance meeting(s)
3. Attendance contract
4. Academic supports and services
5. Social/emotional support and services
6. Health service referral
7. Problem-solving team referral
8. Other specialized and appropriate supports and interventions

Other specialized and appropriate support and interventions efforts will be documented when supports are offered and refused by the student and/or parent/guardian.

Continued chronic truancy may result in punitive action after the provision of supportive services and resources. Students who are 17 years of age or younger and are chronically truant will be referred to the Lake County Regional Office of Education Truancy program and/or local police agencies as required by law, once all support services and resources have been exhausted.

A chronically truant student 17 years of age or older is subject to denial of enrollment for failure to meet minimum academic or attendance standards as outlined in the School Code.

Procedures for reporting student absences:

The Attendance Office must receive a parent/guardian call to authorize a student’s absence. This call must be received by 11:59 p.m. on the day of the absence.

Parents or guardians are responsible for informing school officials when their student(s) are absent. Parents or guardians should call the high school between the hours of 7:15 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. at:

Deerfield:  224-632-3001           Highland Park: 224-765-2020

After 3:30 p.m. and on weekends parents or guardians may leave a message on the attendance office voicemail. If a telephone call is not received by 12:00 a.m. the day of the absence, the absence will be unauthorized. Special circumstances will be considered by the Deans. 

Upon enrollment in the District, parents/guardians must provide the school at least one and not more than 2 telephone numbers so that the school may make a reasonable effort to promptly telephone and notify the parent/guardian if the child is absent from school. Parents/guardians may notify the school of any change to the contact numbers. 

If a student needs to leave school during the school day, a parent/guardian must notify the attendance office a minimum of 2 hours in advance of departure.

If a student must leave school for an appointment of any kind, the attendance office clerks must be notified of the time of departure and the anticipated time of return by a parent or guardian. The student must check out in the Attendance Office, pick up a pass and present it to the staff member at either Security Desk upon leaving in order for the absences to be authorized. Students returning to school or coming in late must check in at the Attendance Office in order for the absence to be authorized. The Attendance Office must receive a phone call from a parent/guardian, or the absence will remain unauthorized.

NOTE: Students may not be “called out” for a class period they do not wish to attend while remaining at school. If the student does not attend class but remains in the building, the absence will be considered unauthorized. Students are expected to attend all scheduled classes.

A student who becomes ill at school must report to the Health Service. At the Health Service the nurse will:

• Note the time of arrival and departure of the student to authorize any class absences.
• Determine whether appropriate care should be provided in the office, at home or at the hospital, and
• Help the student make arrangements to get home if that is the best course of action.
• If a student becomes ill and leaves school, it is expected that the student will stay home for the remainder of the day.

Students who become ill and leave school without seeing the nurse will be marked unauthorized for any classes which they miss.

If a student begins the day ill, and later feels better and decides to come to school, the student must check in at the Attendance Office before going to class.

If a student has an emergency which is not health-related and is not sure what to do, the student should report to the Attendance Office and see one of the Deans prior to leaving school.

Leaving building to go to a vehicle in parking lot

Students parked in the lot who need to retrieve something from their car may get a car pass in the Deans’ Office. Students must show the pass to security staff prior to walking out of the building. Disciplinary action will be taken if a student leaves the building without obtaining the appropriate pass.

Early Dismissal

Students who have an early release from school are expected to leave the building promptly at the end of their last class. If the school day schedule has been modified for an assembly, for example, it is the student’s responsibility to remain in all of his or her classes until the end of their schedule.