Student Attendance & Daily Absence

Student Attendance

New Mexico law dictates that:

Students between the ages of five (5) and eighteen (18) years of age are mandated to attend public school, private school, home school or a state institution.

The Albuquerque Public School District reports habitual truants to the Children’s Court Liaison office and to the State of New Mexico.

Daily Absence Policy:

Attendance Information for Parents/Legal Guardians of High School Students

Albuquerque Public Schools strongly believes that daily school attendance is necessary for students to fully benefit from the instructional program.  Excessive absenteeism, regardless of the reason, will negatively impact student academic achievement. 

• A parent/guardian shall notify the school each day that the student will be absent in accordance with the notification procedure established by the school.  Only the student’s parent/legal guardian may report an absence. (Absence admit form may be found online at the VVHS.aps.edu website)
• A parent/guardian shall keep the school informed of current address and phone number for emergency notifications.  
• An “absence” call will be sent out by the SchoolMessenger phone system to the parent/legal guardian at 8:20 AM if the student is not recorded as present by 7:30 AM
• An “absence” call will be sent out by the SchoolMessenger phone system to the parent/legal guardian at 10:30 AM and again at 4:30 PM if the student still is marked absent in any period.
• Absences may be excused for the following reasons with appropriate documentation: Illness; limited family emergencies; family deaths; medical, health or legal appointments; suspensions; religious commitment; college visit; limited extenuating circumstances as approved in advance by the school principal; etc.
• All absences for other reasons are unexcused, including: family vacations outside of the normally scheduled school break, non-school sponsored activities or trips.
• Half day absences will be added together to equal a full day.
• Absences follow the student throughout the school year, from semester to semester and from school to school.

Refer to the APS Student Behavior Handbook for more information.

Excessive Absences

• Absences due to school-related activities shall not be included when evaluating excessive absences. 
• A student shall not be allowed more than ten (10) school-related absences per class per semester.
• State law requires schools to withdraw a student after ten (10) consecutive days of absence.