ATTENDANCE POLICY

Stylized Compass Graphic with Green Checkmark in the Center 
Download a printable version of the BOL attendance policy.

[su_divider top=”no” divider_color=”#eaeaea” size=”1″ margin=”10″]


Berks Online Learning (BOL) is committed to working with students and parents/guardians to provide a framework that supports consistent and regular attendance for all children.

BOL monitors student attendance pursuant to the Pennsylvania Department of Education attendance guidelines and policies. BOL is obligated to keep an accurate record of daily attendance. Compliance with state attendance statutes and regulations is a parental responsibility.

Instructional Time

Pennsylvania requires all public schools to offer a minimum of 180 days of instruction between July 1 and June 30 of consecutive years.

Process for Attendance Monitoring

  1. Students are required to attend a minimum of 180 school days.
  2. Absences will be documented as excused or unexcused.
  3. BOL offers students the flexibility to attend school on any five days of a seven day week.
    1. Attendance in BOL is monitored on a daily basis.
    2. Students must work in each class in which they are enrolled for at least one hour per day. If a student is enrolled in five classes, that student must work 25 hours per week to be considered present.

Procedures for Excused Absences

  1. Student illness
    • Student must present a doctor’s note when they are absent from school for three or more consecutive days.
  2. Medical appointment
  3. Quarantine
  4. Court appearance
  5. Death in the family
    • A written note to BOL is required within seven days of absence
  6. Religious holidays
    • 24 hr. advance notice is requested
  7. Educational tour/trip, such as junior/senior college tours
    • 72 hr. advance notice is requested.
    • A limit of 2 per year not to exceed five school days

Note: Excused absence requests may not be approved during the state testing windows.  Please check with your child’s local school district for specific dates.

BOL will strictly adhere to these dates.

Submission of Excuse Notes

  1. In order for an absence to be excused, a parent or guardian must submit a written explanation to BOL via email to bolinfo@berksiu.org.  Emails and phone calls from students will not be accepted.
  2. Excuse notes must include:
    1. the student’s name.
    2. the date of the absence.
    3. the reason for the absence.
    4. The parent or guardian has three calendar days from the date of absence to submit the excuse note to BOL, except in the case of a death in the family, where the notes must be received within seven days of the student’s absence.

Unexcused Absences

If BOL does not receive a written notification of absence, within three days of absence, the absence will be recorded as unexcused and the school district will be notified.

Truancy

A student will be considered truant after three unexcused absences.

  • BOL is mandated to report student as truant to the student’s home school district.
  • The school district may issue a truancy notice in accordance with their attendance policy

No Internet Access or Power Outage

Students who are unable to log into classes or have a power outage must have an alternative plan to go to a public library/public location with computer access to do their school work, if possible. There will be a two-day grace period if documentation is provided by parent/guardian.

Technical Problems with a School Issued Computer

The student must contact the appropriate school representative to make arrangements for laptop repair.  The school district may provide a loaner computer to the student while repairs are being made.  The student/parent is responsible for notifying BOL via email at bolinfo@berksiu.org or by phone (610) 898-8950.

Weather Related

Weather related issues such as snow storms, hurricanes, or any other severe weather that impedes student access to the Internet will be considered excused if parent/guardian provides BOL with written documentation via email to bolinfo@berksiu.org within one week of the event.

  • A phone call to (610) 898-8950 by parent/guardian will also  be accepted.
  • A grace period of two days will be granted.

State Testing

BOL students are required to participate in all state mandated testing.

  • Families are required to contact and respond to their local school district’s notification of testing windows.
    • For example: PSSA, Keystone Exams, Access for ELLs, etc.
  • It is the family’s obligation to locate and adhere to the dates of the testing windows as specified by the individual district.


Please note that Berks Online Learning (BOL) reserves the right to modify this attendance policy pursuant to changes in the home school district’s attendance policies, changes made by the Pennsylvania Department of Education and changes in policies and procedures by BOL or the Berks County Intermediate Unit.