Office & Attendance

If you suspect that someone in your household has Covid, please call the Culver Medical Hotline at 847-644-1812.
All other health related calls or absences should be directed to 847-966-9280 ext. 1118 or kmorrissey@niles71.org.

School Office Procedures for Parents

Mrs. Keith is the front office assistant for Culver School. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the school office at 847-966-9280 and they will be happy to assist you. Please recognize that the busiest time in the school office is 8-9 a.m. If your message is not urgent, please wait to contact us until after 9:00.

Please be diligent about picking up your child. It can be quite traumatic for children to wait even 10 minutes if they have not been warned ahead of time. Current telephone numbers are required for each child, so we can contact parents if it becomes necessary.

Absence Line

On any day that a child cannot attend school, a parent or guardian must call the school office to excuse the child, stating the reason for the absence. This check on attendance lets the school know that an absent child is safe at home and avoids the need for a note upon the child's return to school.

Parents must call the absence line (847-966-9280) the evening before or the morning of a student's absence, then press 1 to leave a message stating your name, your child's name and the reason for absence.

You must also call if your child will be late, and your child must check in with the office when arriving late. If your child needs to be dismissed from school early, you must notify the school at least one day in advance to let us know why the child will be leaving early. A parent or designated person must sign the student out. Please pick up your child in the office when requesting an early dismissal.

Homework

If your child is absent for only one day, have him/her pick up homework when he/she returns to school the next day. Middle school students must be absent for 3 days before they can request homework from the office. The classroom teacher will determine when the work needs to be completed. If your child has an extended absence, please make arrangements with his/her teacher(s) regarding homework and making up class work (see below). 

Extended Absence

In the case of an extended illness it will not be necessary to call the school every day, but the school may require verification from a physician.

Vacations while school is in session are discouraged, but if it is necessary to remove your child during the school year, you must notify the office one week in advance. The office staff is required to document this absence as unexcused. Contact your child’s teacher to make arrangements to make up class work and homework. Students are responsible for all work assigned to their class during their absence.

Compulsary Attendance Laws

The Illinois compulsory attendance law requires all children ages 6-17 to attend school. Children below the age of 6 years or above the age of 17 years who are enrolled in grades Kindergarten – 12 are also required to attend school while in session during the regular school term.

It is the responsibility of a parent or guardian to ensure his/her child attends school regularly in order to obtain the maximum benefits from the educational program. In order to obtain maximum efficiency in the use of school buses, the starting and ending times of the schools are staggered.

The lunch periods also may differ among schools to provide maximum use of available instructional time.

Truancy

The School District will determine if the student is a truant, chronic or habitual truant, or a truant minor.

• A “truant” is a child subject to compulsory school attendance who is absent without valid cause from such attendance for a school day or portion thereof.
• Chronic or habitual truant – A “chronic or habitual truant” is a child who is subject to compulsory school attendance and who is absent without valid cause from such attendance for 5% percent or more of the previous 180 regular attendance days. Students who are identified as chronic or habitual truants will be reported to the appropriate Intermediate Service Center.
• Truant minor – A chronic truant is a student to whom supportive services, including prevention, diagnostic, intervention and remedial services, alternative programs, and other school and community resources have been provided and have failed to result in the cessation of chronic truancy or have been offered and refused.

Valid cause for absence – A child may be absent from school because of illness (including mental and behavioral health of the student), medical appointment, observance of a religious holiday, death in the immediate family, attendance at a civic event, family emergency, special or unusual events approved by the parent(s)/guardian(s) and pre-approved with the school, situations beyond the student’s control as determined by the Board of Education or such other circumstances which cause reasonable concern to the parent for the safety or health of the student. 

Students absent for a valid cause absence will be considered excused and the student will be given an equivalent opportunity to make up any examination, study, or work requirement in a reasonable time frame. Multiple absences for mental or behavioral health needs may result in provision of school supports. Excessive health-related absences without doctor’s notes are not valid causes for absence.

Parents or Guardians may obtain assistance to approve attendance by contacting the school administration, counselor, or nurse.

Procedures for identifying the cause of unexcused absenteeism may include interviews with the student, parent(s)/guardian(s), and staff. Supportive services may be offered to truant, chronically truant, or chronically absent students, including parent-teacher conferences, student and/or family counseling, or sharing information about community agency services.

The Student Services Department will function on a consultative and remedial basis in truancy matters. Families and students seeking help with truancy may be referred to Educational Services after a principal/teacher conference.

A copy of the board attendance and truancy policy can be found here.