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Attendance Policy

1. Your child’s regular attendance in school is of great importance to their educational success.  Chronic absences can have a lasting impact on a child’s learning and overall success in school.  

  • Our goal is for students to miss no more than 9 days of school each year, including both excused and unexcused absences.  Students who miss 10-17 days are considered at risk for attendance concerns, while students who miss 18 or more days are considered chronically absent.  

  • Parents will automatically be notified by mail when their child’s absences reach/exceed 8, 16, and 18 days (excused and unexcused).  

  • Students with high absence rates may be referred to our Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) Team, the school social worker, and/or the school SRO (school resource officer) for assistance in solving any underlying issues.

2. NEW THIS YEAR: The custodial parent will receive an automated phone call whenever their child is reported absent. You do not need to contact the school on the morning of an absence.

It is the parent/guardian's responsibility to ensure contact information is current through the Parent Portal each school year. The custodial parent is the individual listed as the first contact in the Parent Portal.

If you have any questions or concerns, please call the school office at (716) 686-3237. Messages may be left with the office staff or on the school's voicemail at any time.

3. New York State law requires that any student absence must be accounted for by a written excuse from home. Please send this note to school when your child returns from his/her absence.  Our attendance secretary, Mrs. Kmiotek can be reached at 716-686-3232 or jkmiotek@lancasterschools.org. This note should include the student’s full name, dates of absence, teacher, reason, and parent signature. If no written excuse is received within five days, the absence is considered unexcused. 

4. Parents should send a note stating the dates a student will miss school due to vacation at least one week in advance. This is an unexcused absence. The Attendance Clerk will issue a vacation letter. As per Como Park Attendance Policy, class work/homework that is missed during a vacation will be made up when the student returns to school. Teachers will not be expected to provide work prior to vacation. 

5. Late Arrival:The doors are closed and locked at 9:30 AM each morning. If your child is late for school, they must be escorted by you into the main office. You may bring a written excuse for the tardy or you will be asked to complete one in the office.

6.Dismissal Information: Parents are asked to complete an After School Dismissal Form via Google Forms or paper copy. This form has a section to complete listing designated adults students may be released to. 

  • The District will not release students to a non-custodial parent without the custodial parent’s consent. It is the parent’s responsibility to inform the District if and when the child may be released to individuals other than the custodial parent in a form acceptable to the District. The main office will call the classroom and your child will be sent promptly.  Parents may wait for their child in the main office. 

  • Early dismissals are not permitted after 3:30 PM as this is when the main office begins our regular dismissal process.

  • If a child is to be excused earlier than the regular dismissal time, a note must be sent to the teacher in the morning. The parent, upon arriving at school, should report to the main office. Parents will NOT go to the classroom.