David Greenberg » Attendance & Student Support Services
Concerns? lcps-attendance@lcps.net
Program Description
In cooperation with the Third Judicial (Doña Ana County) District Attorney’s office and District Court; Doña Ana County Juvenile Probation and Parole Office; and New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Child Protective Division, the LCPS Attendance and Student Services Program was created in August 2012 to step up school district compliance with and enforcement of the New Mexico Compulsory School Attendance law.
The Attendance and Student Services Unit works to ensure that children, families and schools are in compliance with the Compulsory School Attendance Law. The Attendance and Student Services Unit does this by partnering with schools and families to assess the situations and/or circumstances that are preventing students’ consistent and timely attendance. The team then designs interventions in an attempt to alleviate the obstacles that prevent the students from attending school. The student’s overall well-being is always at the forefront of consideration when interventions are discussed designed and agreed upon. The Attendance and Student Services Unit also serves as advisors to the individual schools, by providing information training and guidance in regards to students’ attendance.
Important LCPS Attendance Policies and Regulations
Policy/Regulation JEA: Compulsory School Attendance
- Policy JEA: Compulsory School Attendance
The policy establishes/explains:- mandatory requirements of the New Mexico Compulsory School Attendance Law;
- procedures for recording absences and verification of excused and unexcused absences;
- procedures for monitoring attendance, including the 90 percent attendance requirement and its appeals process; and
- useful definitions, including half- and full-day absences (tardies) for elementary students.
- Regulation JEA: Compulsory School Attendance
The regulation:- establishes guidelines for absences which are excused, including absences for student testing; school sports participation; field trips and academic competitions; visits to the school nurse, health center, guidance office and administrative office; and in-school suspension; and
- explains that if a student has an unexcused absence, he/she will have three school days to make up any missed school work, which will be graded and the final assignment grade reduced by 25 percent, due to the unexcused absence.
Policy/Regulation JHB: Students in Need of Early Intervention for Attendance
- Policy JHB: Students in Need of Early Intervention for Attendance
- Regulation JHB: Students in Need of Early Intervention for Attendance
The procedures for what to do at the 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 10th unexcused absences are explained. This was called Truancy until the law changed in 2009, and it was renamed Students in Need of Intervention for Attendance. Truancy Packet Procedure - JHB-E2: Parent Notification of Conference English/Spanish
- JHB-E1: Student Attendance Intervention Plan English | Spanish
- JHB-E3: 10 Day Letter English | Spanish
- JHB-E4: Cover Letter
- Packet Procedure PowerPoint
- District Attorney Letter to Parents
Policy/Regulation JHD: Exclusions and Exemptions from School Attendance
- Policy JHD: Exclusions and Exemptions from School Attendance
- Regulation JHD: Exclusions and Exemptions from School Attendance
The regulation: The regulation establishes what is considered an excused absence, verification of absences, make-up work and prior approval for excused absences. - Form JHD-E1: Excused Absence Request Form
Policy/Regulation IKF: Graduation/Credit Requirements
Important Links
- LCPS Project Link Homeless Education
- Doña Ana County Juvenile Assessment and Reporting Center (JARC) – The program works to identify and intervene in patterns of negative behavior of at-risk and delinquent youth. JARC provides an effective approach to minimize and prevent involvement in the formal juvenile justice system. Located at 1089 W. Amador Ave. Las Cruces, N.M. 88001 (west end of the Las Cruces Community of Hope campus)
Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 575.532.2598
Please Report Child Abuse and Neglect
Every person who knows or has reasonable suspicion that a child is being abused or neglected in New Mexico MUST report the matter immediately. You can report by calling the child abuse hotline (1-800-797-3260, 1-855-333-SAFE [7233] or #SAFE from a cell phone), or report it to a local law enforcement agency. Specific professionals mentioned under the law as mandated reporters are: licensed physicians, residents or interns; law enforcement officers; judges presiding during a proceeding; nurses; school teachers and school officials; social workers; and members of the clergy who have information not privileged as a matter of law.
See Policy: JLF-E1: Report of Suspected Child Abuse, Neglect, and Mental Injury