Purpose of the Attendance Team

The Attendance Team’s vision is to offer a school environment that promotes a feeling of belonging and a collaborative community of teachers, staff, students and parents to address barriers to attendance. Our goals are to increase overall attendance throughout our school, decrease the number of students whose attendance is below 85% and, most importantly, identify and remove any barriers that hinder students from attending regularly.    

Attendance Policy

Attending school regularly is not only important, it has a huge impact on a student’s future.  Research shows that students missing two or more days each month are considered chronically absent and are less likely to read at grade level, graduate from high school or even earn a college degree.  The State of Missouri and Brookside Charter expects students to be present 90% or more of the school year. 

Keep in mind:

• Arriving late and/or leaving early also impacts student attendance and performance
• Excessive absences, late arrivals or early departures may result in Truancy Referral and/or withdrawal from Brookside Charter School
• The State of Missouri does not recognize “excused absences,” however, continuous communication with the Attendance Team will support our decisions.
  • Documentation from healthcare providers, mental health professionals or case workers will be taken into consideration
  • Ongoing communication with the Attendance Team and your student’s teacher(s) is also taken into consideration

My Student Will Be Absent/Late/Dismissed Early

If/when your student will be absent, late or dismissed early, please contact the Attendance Team directly at attendance@brooksidecharter.org.  Please include the following information in your email: Student’s Name, Student’s Grade and Reason for their absence, late arrival or early dismissal.  Please attach any supporting documentation to the email as well. 

Students who are absent more than two consecutive days are required to provide documentation from a healthcare provider (or holistic clinic) to support the consecutive absences.  

Additional Info/Resources…

RideKC.org is the public transportation website/app that not only gives you access to all the Maps & Schedules in the Metropolitan area, but also allows you to “Plan Your Trip” by entering your start and end locations and what time you would like to arrive.  Multiple options are planned out for you to select from.

IRIS is a new app-based, on-demand service provided by KCMO, in partnership with KCATA, ZTrip and RideCo.  IRIS gets residents within a quarter of a mile of their destination for a minimal fee (as low as $3/trip) within a defined zone. Service is provided 7 days a week from 4am-11pm.