Attendance & Absence - Cascades School

Regular school attendance is required by Oregon law for good reason: too many absences--whether excused or unexcused--prevent students from succeeding in school. Missing just 10% of the school year, which is only 2 days a month, can knock students off track.

How can I check my student's attendance?

How can I report an absence?

Please excuse a student absence within 24 hours and provide the reason. You may excuse an absence by calling 541-451-8524, via ParentSquare, or by sending a note with your student to the office.

Many schools have forms for planned, extended absences that they want completed in advance in order to support the student and maintain accurate records. Please contact your school office if you anticipate an extended absence.

What if my student is sick?

When a student is physically ill, an exception to daily attendance must be made so the child can recover and avoid getting others sick. Viruses spread quickly in schools, and unfortunately, when too many people get sick--including staff--it impacts a school's ability to operate normally. We also know that it is difficult for a child to focus and learn when they are not feeling well; home is usually the best place to rest and recover.

Our Health Services page has helpful information to help parents and guardians determine whether their child is too sick to attend school. COVID symptoms now tend to be similar to those of a cold or flu, and the medical guidance now aligns with those more common illnesses: stay away from school or work until symptoms are improving and fever has been gone for 24 hours without medication.

Will my student's absence be excused?

School Board Policy JED states that a student’s absence from school or class will be excused under the following circumstances:

Illness, including mental and behavioral health of the student;
Illness of an immediate family member when the student’s presence at home is necessary;
Emergency situations that require the student’s absence;
Student is a dependent of a number of the U.S. Armed Forces who is on active duty or who is called to active duty. The student may be excused for up to seven days during the school year;
Field trips and school-approved activities;
Medical (dental) appointments. Confirmation of appointments may be required;
Other reasons deemed appropriate by the school administrator when satisfactory arrangements have been made in advance of the absence.

Each school shall notify parents or guardians by the end of the school day if their child has an unplanned absence.

Students who are considered truant may be subject to the following penalties: detention, suspension and/or ineligibility to participate in athletics or other activities.

State law (ORS 339) gives district officials the right to excuse or not excuse absences based upon the reasons, pattern, or frequency of absences. These are not acceptable reasons for excused absences:

Truancy;
Oversleeping;
Missing the bus or car malfunction;
Shopping/haircut appointments;
Family vacations, hunting or fishing excursions not approved in advance; and/or
Birthdays, family visiting or other celebrations

Besides losing time from learning because of an absence or tardy, research has shown that many who attend school irregularly develop the same practices in work and elsewhere in life. Furthermore, students who enter a classroom after being absent or tardy can feel disconnected, behind on their work, and increasingly overwhelmed.