A student can accumulate nine excused absences per semester and 18 excused absences for the entire school year. Any additional absences after nine per semester will require a doctor’s note and are considered excessively absent.
Excessively absent kids are reported to truancy enforcement, a letter will be sent to the parents warning that they’re missing too much school.
0 unless they are home schooled
My opinion, as long as their school work isnt suffering, it doesn’t matter.
However there could be circumstances where being late/absent that cant be helped.
It’s taken my family 2 years to get my daughter getting to school on time every day.
No clue but I know my kids only miss like 10 days of school the whole year I got a notice from school saying they will sit down n talk to me. Everyone gets sick & late. Cant be perfect
Depends on if the reasons are legit or not. Just because isnt legit, and i never kept mine home if they only had a cough. Or if they only had a headache. Or if just their stomach was hurting.
As many as needed if something happens. Can’t put a specific number not knowing what’s going to.happen.
This should be on an individual basis for we don’t know what kind of underlying health issues that can make colds worse and harder for them to beat
I’m not sure where you live, but in Massachusetts, if our child misses five days of school, you get a nasty letter sent home warning you about their time missed, etc if it continues, they will get the state involved.
My child’s school will start sending letters after 5 absences even if they’re excused as a warning. If they get 10+ they consider it truancy UNLESS there’s a doctors note.
2 of my kids missed so much from health problems they gave me a almost 4,000 fine they were both put on home bound my 14 year olds started today! I think if they are truly sick it shouldn’t matter
I went to private school and we were only allowed to miss 9 days a year before we were required to redo the grade. I myself only missed 6 days of school total my entire childhood (PreK-12th). I don’t think a child should miss school ever unless they have a fever or are having some sort of surgery, hospital stay, etc.
On average there is 12 days of missed school and 6 tardis per semester. This will vary from school to school as well as from student to student. So a total of 24 missed days and 12 tardis a school year.
As many as my child needs. He gets sick a lot. I rather not have it spread to other kids.
I dont think there is a certain number. But if its for a family emergency. Or the child is extremely sick,lile with fever or throwing up. But if they miss only bcuz they dont want to go,i dont think thats a good enough excuse… And doctors notes are a must… Too many absences can lead to a principals meeting and possibly having to sign a contract to send your child to school…
The issue is im one of those parents that keeps my kid home when she is starting to get sick so it doesn’t spread. Other parents send their kids to school sick so my kid gets it anyways. Now I’m like f it you got a cough go to school spread that shit around
My daughter has only missed 1 day so far d/t sickness.
How ever many is need. I have a 10yr son who has been having serious health issues. Some days he’s unable to walk vs others he has to get around on crutches. He has many appointments that he goes to with all different types of specialist. He has missed over 20 days just this past year so I don’t think there should be a limit because anything can happen at any giving time
My school got a tech grant that gave every single student a laptop with its own internet, so even if we were home sick we had to Skype into class. We had no reason to miss unless we were at an appointment or something catastrophic happened.
You won’t get a real answer here. Every school is different. Better off calling the school
As many as needed. It’s impossible to say. Are these days for illness? Vacation? Alternative education? Stress break? It really just depends. My three kids all missed different numbers of days for various reasons. My oldest son rarely missed school where as my youngest missed several days a month for various reasons. Both were acceptable to me. The school saw it differently but it’s my child and I don’t care. She never fell behind and I did what’s best for her not the school.
My kids school allowed 10 excuses by parents but after 10 you needed to get a medical excuse. Kids get sick a lot while in school, all 3 of mine did so I think 10 is too low! Being late never happened but once with my one son because he shut his finger in the car door but we still showed up and got an ice pack! But being late shouldn’t be a regular thing because it shows the kiddos it’s ok to be late to work and that will get you fired! After 3 boys I am glad to be done with school lol
In NC you can miss 12 days before they start getting nasty. At 5 days you get a letter warning you and emphasizing the importance of regular attendance bla bla bla.
My sister was a perfect student and hated missing days. I missed a lot for my own mental health to hang out with my Dad.
Ummm not a lot
I’d personally say more than 2-3 is too much …
yes some children have health issues
But a cough headache or stomach ache isnt a health issue
I send my kid to school always.
She’s missed one day of school in three years.
Depends on the kid. My son missed over a month of school between September-December for being sick non-stop. I expected it since he’s in pre-K and never went to daycare so his immune system is playing catch up. The dr even kept him out longer than necessary after his last bout of stomach flu so his immune system could have a break. The school allows 5 parent notes and then rest have to be dr/therapist notes. I’ve only had to use one parent note so far, he had diarrhea. The school wants them to be fever, diarrhea, and vomit free for 24 hours before letting them go back.
depends on the situation. my daughter had to miss four days in one week because of the flu…
I don’t think it matters as long as they make grade level. Attendance shouldn’t be a big deal until you get older in my opinion.
Unless they are truly sick, none, go to school
Unless my kid runs a fever, they’re going to school. So NONE is the most acceptable, one or two is reality
Well I think its like 10 or 12 per school year. HOWEVERRRR schools think there is a magic wand we wave so our kids dont get sick.
Mine will miss as many as they need to if they are sick. They complain about a child missing school, but dont realize that if parents dont keep them home, the sickness will spread. I got a note b4 saying my child missed more then the “recommended” and I said guess what as long as hes still getting good grades. I really dont care. My son gets straight As and is in honors in all classes. So entil his absences effect his grades, just leave me alone
In my personal opinion as many as mummy likes. Studies have shown that kids thrive just as well if they’re not in formal education before 7 as they do if they’re put in. Hell countries that don’t have homework and don’t start school til 7 out perform most countries and have happier children
By law 18 days missed i Believe. My daughter is in Pre-k and at the beginning of the year i let her miss days for her peewee drill team activities. Now into second half of year, she only has 5 days left before they call truancy.
You have to be 90% in attendances with school.
The acceptable amount of tardies/absences is set by your state legislators. The schools have to enforce the rules of the state. Maybe try to cut them a little slack. They are just doing their jobs.
However many Unexcused the state allows…I wouldn’t make a habit out of letting my child miss school Often- they have one obligation and it’s school… if you begin to let them slide it’ll teach them to be irresponsible
Growing up we were allowed 9 days a year. But I recommend not letting them miss any classes.
My state requires a mediation with student and parents if so many days is missed
Depends if they are sick
Preferably zero. School should come first of course. If the child is honestly sick like vomiting, fever or contagious you obviously gotta miss a day or 2 or what ever is needed… Occasionally a kid may need a mental health day… they are human ( but not all the time) Vacation and dr. Appointments should be scheduled during days off it at all possible. I’ve had my kid miss a day because we took a long weekend to CA on vacation… But once again school should be a priority … not something I would do often or even every year. This year my third grader got perfect attendance for the first semester 
… First time we have accomplished that! Very happy.
This depends on where you live. If you live in an area where it is the law for children of certain ages to be in school then there is also a maximum number of days that they can miss school before legal action will be taken against you for denying your child their right to an education. In Canada this various province to province. In the USA it will vary state to state and in some cases school board to school board or school to school depending upon how the education system is set up.
To make this a short answer, you need to contact your school to find the answer because all of us in this group live in different areas so nobody actually has the answer for you.
However many they need…
Every school district and state is different. I dont think a child should miss any days unless they are ill but I know some schools will start sending home notices even when absentee students have a doctors note. It’s best to read your parent handbook or contact the school.
Each school has their own policy. My daughter has been catching viruses left and right and has missed almost 10 days this school year
Depends my kids are only home if they are sick. But my one son misses a half day every week for speech therapy which according to our school still counts as an absent.
However many they miss. I let my kids take a day each report period to just go hang out or chill. Then they usually miss 4-5 days a year for illness or doctors appointments.
Here in Florida it’s 15 days but personally I think it’s bullshit because when I was younger we have all that now as parents get in trouble for the missing school. That’s 15 unexcused absences. Hell my kids of already passed there a limit… So now every time they miss a day I have to take him to an urgent care or something
We missed close to 3 weeks last year life of the immune compromised child.
My daughters school is 15. What I dont get is when kids are sick they say keep them home but when they miss so many days due to these constant sicknesses going around it’s a problem too. Seems like the minute we send our kids to school they are given back to us all sick and its ongoing throughout the school yr.
When it comes to being absent, I look at school like a kid’s job. 10-15 sick days and tardies. Never used that many but I don’t see anything wrong with kids who do.
My school says 5. Unless they have a doctor’s note. I say fight me. Of hes sick he’s sick. If they wanna give me 100+ dollars for the doctors every time I’ll take him. Momma knows best.
Even if they have a Drs note they don’t excuse it and send letters threatening to report you to the state. It’s like damned if you do damned if you don’t
5, MAX. That’s considering sickness, personal holidays, and vacation days.
I understand the importance of a child being present to learn, however, i also think it is especially cruel to hold a child and family hostage in regards to the not being allowed to experience anything outside the small area of their home because of attendance laws. Not to mention, theyre so strict that even extenuating circumstances arent even considered.
My son has missed 20 all year due to sicknesses and a whole week of not having transportation for him they are already sending me to meet with the principle for an attendance contract.
Well what is the schools policy? Im big on being on time and all but shit happens and without knowing the whole story from everyone involved it’s hard to tell if it matters or not.
My elementary school didn’t care. My grandfather took me out of school twice a week. Some times 3. Every Tuesday we would go to the cow sale, Thursdays I would spend the day going on farm calls with our veterinarian, and on special occasions, I would get to go down to the local butchers and watch them process a cow. I would get out for branding, and of course harvest, cause we had to drive the trucks to the elevator. I loved it. And I learned so much more then those who went all 4 days to school.
If there is a good reason for school to be missed, I’m not going to set a limit.
My mom used to set a limit on how many sick days I could take from school which was horrible because I have a weak immune system and got sick very often, and then I was being forced to go to school. Which is counterproductive because I was not getting work done and was spreading my illness around school.
And as far as family emergencies, mental health issues and things like that I will of course let my kids have the day off if it is going to interfere with their ability to learn that day.
Those of us with medically challenged kiddos that make up all their missed work, and request it ahead of time for doctor appointments, think it should be the unexcused absences only that count. Not our fault she has 12 doctor appointments a month where the specialist’s hours are the same as school. She asks for the work ahead of time and makes up everything she misses, but we still get letters telling us she will fail due to absences. My daughter never stays home for sickness, she only misses when it’s a doctor appointment or she gets injured at school (has been sent home with broken bones 3 times this year from PE).
My kid only missed 3 days with an excuse from drs for each day and I now have to pay a ticket for supposedly keeping my kid out of school over the limited amount of times… 3 freaking days… it’s ridiculous…
My school is 12 and once you get to 9 they send you to truancy so every little time my child is sick I have to take her to doctor for note which is ridiculous and if I just send her she winds up more sick
Here in Georgia if they miss more than five without an excuse they are truant and their parents can face legal action for educational neglect.
our district is 8 per semester. so 16 total.
Depends on the school. They get nasty about a couple days around here.
Being a teacher, I am biased on school attendance.
Tardies are generally the parents fault, which should not happen often. Absences - sick (fever, throwing up, virus, antibiotic less than a day). Check outs - late in the day is always best.
Kids struggle to stay caught up who are present everyday, but we have to teach what the state mandates. The students who miss so much school have MAJOR issues staying caught up on work and their grades are impacted.
Depends on the school, the district, and the program. Read the schools handbook or district guidelines. It explains absences, tardy,or early dismissal on what is allowed, etc. There is a reason for these guidelines and rules.
I think it’s a total of 10 days here. The key is to always get doctor’s excuses when possible. Also if a chronic thing get a 504 plan and request to get homebound. It’s almost impossible for a child to catch up of they miss so many days.
Mine arent allowed to drop below 96%
I think it would depend on the child, age, and circumstances. My child (second grade) has to miss several days and is late and leaves early frequently, due to appointments, for stuff that is not available at the school, and medical apts. They are not worried about it at all. She has only missed due to being sick once, and they marked her out for a few extra days to make sure she was completely fever free before returning. I’m in Canada thou, so that may make a difference.
My kid missed 4 and got a truancy notice 
My kids are in preschool and the way this sickness and everything has been going around my 2 kids have missed probably around 10 days of school… toddlers are germ magnets and whenever one gets it they all get it!! I myself have a vary bad cold and it’s probably the 3rd time I’ve had one this year and I never get sick! About a month ago our school said over half of the elementary kids were out due to being sick!
My kids have missed 15 days already! The flu has been bad this year. They have had it 3 times already! I do not allow my kids to go to school with a fever and they must be 24 hours fever free before returning. I try to have enough decency to not spread it to other children!
10 but you get a letter after 7
In Arizona, a student can accumulate nine excused absences per semester and 18 excused absences for the entire school year. Any additional absences after nine per semester will require a doctor’s excuse note and are considered excessively absent. Excessively absent students get reported to the truancy office and a letter will be sent home letting the parents know.
Ours is 10 but they are extremely lenient. My kids get sick alot so unfortunately they stay home I’m sorry I’m not going to send my kids to school when they are coughing like crazy. Basically our district has said that unless they have a 101 or more fever or they are throwing up consistantly then they are expected to be in school. Your children be damned if mine are contagious. They dgaf they want the kids in school. 🤦🤦🤦 And you wonder why so much crap gets around and why kids are sick so much throughout the year.
I’m awful at attendance and tardiness 
if they’d provide transportation itd be much easier. But if they’re sick, they’re sick I dont care about numbers when it comes to health.
As long as there is a sufficient reason it shouldn’t matter the teacher can always send there school work home for completion and then return it for marking I’ve home schooled before no biggy
As many as needed if sick.
Depends on the school district policy. Remenber the school loses money for every child that misses school. There are other options if a child needs to miss more.
What gets me is the school will see a child is sick and call the parents to come pick them up and still count it against them and send them truancy notices while the school nurse is still calling saying they shouldn’t be at school. like what?
None except for excused absences.
Check the school handbook
I’m not making an attack, but if tardiness are regular then you need to move the morning timetable to get there on time.
I failed every grade but passed state tests
Influenza B will put you out a week itself. Schools must be flexible with all this nastiness going around.
My step daughter has missed 39 days and been late 20 something more and the school has done nothing.
The average number of full days missed in a school year for an elementary aged child is 6 days.
My kid’s school has strive for 5 but they usually miss about 7 or 8 days a year.
IDK why you are asking random people this question. Each school district is different and sets their own perimeters.
I have always treated school for the kids as if it were a job. They are not allowed to miss unless they are sick. We are teaching them what its like in the real world
Imall for good attendance but when the rules are if a child has sickness and or diahorriea they cannot return until they are two days clear if this despite being Informed that this is the case how can they then complain about it.You are following the procedures as to their request. Also I have heard a head teacher tell a mother that if she is unsure if the child is well enough to bring the child in and let the teacher decide.If my child was unwell I would make the decision I know my child better than any teacher.
As many as their parents missed when they were kids!
No tardy. I believe kids should be taught at a young age to respect themselves and others and always be on time. Now I’m not saying something comes up and a tardy should be a big deal, I just believe in not being late. Sick days is another thing. We’ve had 10 so far this year. My kiddo has caught every virus going around. And we stay home for fevers. He also missed 1 day for us to go away for a weekend as a family.
I have 3 kids… 2 in the 5th grade & a 1st grader…,. I be a real dumbass to make my kids miss school or be tardy cause I’m not doing my JOB AS A MOTHER… You have to be very consistent… SCHOOL IS IMPORTANT…
As many days as I see fit to not have them go. They’re my children and as long as the work is done and they are excelling everyone else can mind their business- school included.
As many as she needs especially if we send her to school and she has the same issues I did. But we’re probably homeschooling anyway so she won’t miss any