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Attendance FAQs

Q:  How do I report an absence?

A:  Absences can be reported via ParentVUE, Telephone, email or in person in the office.  The preferred, most efficient way to report an absence is in ParentVUE. 

Q:  I signed my student out for an appointment.  Why is his/her absence marked “unexcused”?

A:  Per the state of AZ, we can only excuse the reasons listed below, any other reasons provided will not be excused:

  • Bereavement / Funeral (BRE)
  • Chronic Ill (CHR) – the use of this must be approved by the District Health Office
  • Doctor Note (DRN) – this will be coded when a verified doctor note is received
  • Doctor’s Appointment (DR) – this includes orthodontist appointments
  • Family Emergency (FER)
  • Illness (Ill)
  • Religious Holiday (Rel)
  • Vacation / Out of Town (Vac)

Q:  How do I know how many absences or tardies my student has?

A:  Log into ParentVUE and click on the Attendance Tab.  You can see what days have an Excused Absence, Tardy, Unexcused Absence or Activity.  Totals are available by Course or by Period.  More information on how to use ParentVUE is available on our website:  Parents / Parents (husd.org)

Q:  What do I do if I think my student’s attendance is incorrect?

A:  Attendance can only be changed based on direction from the teacher.  Please contact the teacher for the period you believe is incorrect.  Only teachers can request changes to attendance.  Student or parent requests sent directly to the Attendance Office will be redirected to the teacher.

Q:  Why can’t my student bring a drink into the office?

A:  Current policy does not allow outside food or beverage to be on campus.  Any student arriving through the office with said items will be asked to finish or dispose of them before entering the building.  This does not include prepared lunches from home.

Q:  I need my friend to sign my student out early for a doctor appointment.  Can I do that?

A:  Only parent/guardians/approved emergency contacts can sign a student out.  To approve someone to sign out your child, you can identify them as an emergency contact with “release to” rights in ParentVUE.  In an emergency, if you need to approve a one-time exception, please contact the front office at 480-279-8000 for assistance.  You must call from a recognized telephone number for emergency requests.

Q:  My student was absent last week.  Why can’t I excuse his/her absence?

A:  All absences, regardless of the reason, must be reported within 24 hours.  When absences are reported after 24 hours, a note will be added to the student attendance record, but it can't be excused per district policy. 

Q:  My student was late because he didn’t feel well.  Why is he marked absent?

A:  Students arriving more than 10 minutes late will be marked absent.

Q: Do you still have Sweep?

A:  All students arriving late will be signed in using their Student ID Card, Bus Pass or StudentVue ID. Once signed in, they will report to class. Chronic tardies and/or absences will result in progressive discipline.

Q. My student driver has a dentist appointment this afternoon. Can he sign himself out?

A. If a student driver needs to leave for a previously scheduled appointment, please follow the Student Driver Sign Out procedures available on our website. Early departures must be verified with the requesting parent before students are excused.

Q. My student has been assigned to school detention. He is unable to stay after school. What can we do?

A: Detention may be offered at an alternative time should the need arise. Please contact the Administration to discuss your student's specific situation.

Q. My son is on the baseball team and left school early for the game yesterday. Why is he marked unexcused?

A: School excusals are submitted by the supervising staff/coach. Please have your student follow up with his coach. If confirmed, the coach can request an attendance correction with the Attendance Office.

Q. My daughter is going to be going on an overnight school field trip for 2 days. Do I need to excuse her absence?

A: No. The supervising staff of all school sponsored activities will submit excusal requests for all participating students through the Attendance Office. If you do not see the school activity when reviewing your student's attendance in ParentVue, please contact the supervising staff to ensure the excusal was submitted properly.

Q: I need help with my ParentVUE account. Who can I contact?

A: Information on how to set up and/or use ParentVue is available on our website: Parents - Higley Unified School District 60 (husd.org)

Q: I signed my student out early for an orthodontist appointment. Do I need to sign him back in when he is done. 

A. No. Your student can scan in when he arrives back at school using his Student ID Card, Bus Pass, or StudentVue ID. His return time will be recorded and his doctor appointment excusal will be updated to reflect only the time he was absent.