R 4212  ATTENDANCE
A.    	Review of Attendance Data
 
1.     	A record shall be kept of the attendance of each support staff 		member, including secretarial staff; maintenance and custodial 		staff; other support staff members, and staff 	members that 			supervise support staff members.  Any absence, for 		part or 		all of a school day, shall be recorded along with the reason 			for the absence.  The record will distinguish sick leave, 			professional days, unpaid leaves of absence, personal leave, 		bereavement leave, and any other leaves of absences taken by the 		support staff member.  The support staff member’s attendance 		record will include notation of verification of an absence where 		such verification is required by the Superintendent or by Policy 		and Regulation 1642.01.  The support staff member’s rate of 		absence shall be calculated at least once per school year and 		entered on the support staff member’s attendance record.  A 		support staff member’s attendance record shall be part of the 		support staff member’s personnel file. 
 
2.     	A cumulative attendance record shall be assembled for each 		department or classification of employees in the school district.
 
3.     	An attendance report shall be prepared from the cumulative 		attendance record.  The attendance summary shall show the rate of 		absence for a department and/or classification of employee. 
 
B.    	Attendance Reporting and Improvement Plan
 
1.	Planning

	a.     	Each absence of a support staff member shall be reported 			by the support staff member in accordance with the school 			district’s procedure.

b.     	The absence of a support staff member shall be provided to 		the support staff member’s Principal or supervisor 			designated by the Superintendent, as appropriate, who shall 	determine if a substitute or replacement is required for the 		period of the absence.
 
c.     	A report of such absences shall also be provided to the 		Superintendent or designee.
 
d.     	The supervisor designated by the Superintendent shall 		determine if an absence requires further verification.  		Reasons for further verification may include, but are not 		limited to, the following:
 
(1)    	A pattern of absences on the same day(s) of the 		week;
 
(2)    	A pattern of absences before or after nonworking 		days;
 
(3)    	The habitual exhaustion of personal leave.
 
e.     	The Superintendent or designee will meet with the support 		staff member supervisors to discuss attendance records of 		support staff members.  The attendance records shall be 		analyzed for patterns of absences, such as excessive 		absenteeism in a given department, school, or work place in 	the school district, among certain groups of support staff 		members, for certain specific causes, or on certain days of 		the week, month, or year.  Specific strategies for reducing 		the rate of absences shall be developed.
 		2.     	Implementation	 
a.     	The Superintendent or designee or the support staff 			member’s supervisor designated by the Superintendent, 		shall be responsible for implementing a plan for the 			improvement of support staff member attendance. 
 
b.     	The support staff member’s supervisor designated by the 		Superintendent shall encourage the regular attendance of 		the support staff members in their workplace, school, or 		department.  The support staff member’s supervisor 			designated by the Superintendent shall maintain contact 		with absent employees and may confer with support staff 		members who return from an absence of any duration.
 
c.     	The Superintendent shall direct support staff member 		supervisors to incorporate a support staff member’s 			attendance record in the support staff member’s evaluation.
 
d.     	The support staff member’s supervisor designated by the 		Superintendent shall report to the Superintendent or 			designee any support staff member whom the supervisor 		suspects of misusing sick leave or falsifying the reasons for 	an absence.
 
3.     	Counseling
 
a.     	The Superintendent or supervisor designated by the 			Superintendent may schedule a conference with a support 		staff member where the number and/or pattern of the 		support staff member’s absences or the reasons offered for 		the support staff member’s absences may indicate a 			concern.
 
b.     	Prior to the giving of any admonition, reprimand, or 		imposition of discipline of any kind, the Superintendent or 		supervisor designated by the Superintendent shall 			determine the nature of the absences and consider any 		extenuating circumstances.
 
c.     	A written report of any attendance conference shall be 		prepared and retained with the support staff member’s 		evaluations.  The support staff member shall be permitted 		to examine the report and affix their comments, if any, to 		evaluation reports.

C.    	Record of Attendance
 
1.     	A record shall be kept of the attendance of all support staff 			members, including supervisors.  Any absence, for part or all of a 		school day, shall be recorded with the reason for the absence.  A 		support staff member’s attendance record shall be part of the 		employee’s personnel file.  
 
2.     	The record will distinguish sick leave; professional days; unpaid 		leaves of absences; personal leave; bereavement leave; and any 		other leaves taken by the support staff member.  The support staff 		member’s attendance record will include notation of verification of 	an absence where such verification is required by the 			Superintendent, Policy 1642.01, or any other law or Board policy. 
 
3.     	A support staff member’s rate of absence shall be calculated at 		least once per school year and entered on the support staff 			member’s attendance record. 
 
4.     	At the end of each school year, the Superintendent, School 			Business Administrator/Board Secretary, and support staff 			members’ supervisors will review attendance records for support 		staff members.  
 
D.    	Attendance Improvement Plan
 
1.     	The attendance record prepared for support staff members shall be 		analyzed for patterns of absence, such as excessive absenteeism in 		a given school or work place, among certain groups of employees, 		for certain specific causes, or on certain days of the week, month, 		or year. 
 
2.     	Specific strategies for reducing the rate of absences shall be 		developed.
 
3.     	The Superintendent shall designate an administrator or supervisor 		to be responsible for implementing the approved plan for the 		improvement of support staff member attendance in the school 		district. 

4.     	The record of a conference(s) dealing with excessive absenteeism 		may serve as an element in the evaluation of any support staff 		member’s performance.
 
E.     	In-Service Training
 
1.     	The School Business Administrator/Board Secretary or supervisor 		designated by the Superintendent shall meet with support staff 		members at the beginning of each school year to:
 
a.     	Inform support staff members of Board policy and district 		regulations on attendance;
 
b.     	Familiarize employees with the procedures to be used in 		requesting, reporting, and verifying absences;
        			c.     	Acquaint support staff members with the degree to which 					attendance will affect evaluation reports.

First Reading:  November 28, 2023
Second Reading/Adopted:  December 19, 2023