Policies & Procedures

Any student having a temporary or permanent address change during the school year should notify the high school counseling office.

All parents will be notified of unexcused absences of 2-1/2 days or less by a form letter stating the days of absence. All parents will be served with a notice as required by law when there is an unexcused or an unlawful absence of three (3) days.

Students with parent/legal guardian permission may receive approval for an early departure before the end of the normal class day provided their class schedules have been completed for the day. Permission may be granted by the principal or his designee only :

1. For those students in work experience programs administered by the school,

2. For those students having jobs, provided that their employer and parent or legal guardian certify to the principal or his designee such employment and provide the school with an official work permit,

3. For those students with handicapping conditions requiring them to leave school immediately after completing their daily schedule,

4. For those students enrolled in educational placements outside of the High School that are part of the students' daily schedule if school bus transportation is not provided, and

5. For those students who have circumstances requiring them to leave school before the end of the school day.

Students should see their counselor for further needed assistance.

Students may not be excused during the time school is in session without an excuse from home. This excuse must be presented before 8:00a.m. to the attendance personnel in Room 106 for early dismissals on the day the student is to be excused. It is recommended that medical and dental appointments be made after school. We urge parents to plan so that they do not conflict with the school day or calendar.

• Pupils may be released from school to the following persons:

• Natural or adoptive parents(s)

• Single natural parent who has custody

• Both natural parents if joint custody

• Legal Guardian

• Step parent with natural parent written permission

• Someone designated, in writing or verbally, by one of the persons listed above.

If a student knows he/she must be absent because of an emergency, he/she should notify the school office as soon as possible. If an emergency arises, the student's parents or guardian should call the school, (412-833-1600).

• Illness
• Quarantine
• Death in the family
• Impassable roads
• Emergencies which will affect the child
• Future education planning
• Late buses
• Religious holidays
• Previously approved educational trips/tours, in or out of school.

Any student desiring to have an absence excused for an educational trip must complete the Educational Trip Request form. This form can be obtained from the Assistant Principals' Office. The form must be turned into the Assistant Principals' Office in advance of the trip. If prior approval is not secured, the absence will be unexcused. Students making this kind of trip should make arrangements with their teachers, in advance of the trip, to make up work missed during the visitation. If the teacher requires written work to be made up prior to the absence for this purpose, the student must do so. Work not made up according to the schedule arranged with the teacher can result in a failing grade unless the teacher grants an extension.

All students must bring in an absence note from a parent/guardian upon returning to school. Excuses on stationery should include the student's full name, date of absence, phone number, reason for absence, and parental signature. Without a written excuse, the period of absence will be classified as unexcused or unlawful. If an excuse is not turned in within 3 school days, the absence becomes unexcused. In case of chronic absenteeism, a physician's excuse may be required.

A full day of school at Upper St. Clair High School is 8:00 a.m. - 2:45 p.m.

Any student who has missed the bus and exhausted all possible means of transportation to school (without violating the school district's parking/driving policies as outlined in the USCHS Student/Parent Handbook) should call the school immediately for assistance at 833-1600, extension 2270.

If a faculty member detains a student, the faculty member should write a note for the student to be admitted to class. If a student is late to school, but arrives before the end of Mods 1-2, the student is to report to the attendance office before going to class. If a student arrives after the end of the second mod, report with an EXCUSE FOR TARDINESS to the high school attendance office. Any student who arrives to school late, or is absent because of the delay of the school bus beyond a twenty (20) minute waiting period by the student, is regarded as tardy or absent even though the student may not be responsible for such tardiness or absence. Tardiness or absence in this respect will be classified as excused upon presentation of the properly written excuse by the parent. Any student who is tardy because of a late bus should report to the attendance office to document their arrival and avoid being marked tardy.

Absences and Tardies - Please be aware that all absences and tardies, whether excused or unexcused, appear on the permanent record card. Therefore, we ask that every effort be made to compile a good record of attendance and punctuality. This record may be very important when seeking college admission, employment in business and industry or opportunities for responsible jobs in all levels of government. This is reported each nine weeks on your report card. If there are errors, please see the attendance secretary. Students will be referred to the assistant principal when they accumulate sets of three tardies to class or when they accumulate unexcused tardies to school. Disciplinary consequences will be assigned.

School Code 113-440
Absences covered by excuses marked "parental neglect," "illegal employment," or "truancy" are called "unexcused absences." All others are called "excused absences." The mere fact that a parent has sent a written excuse to the teacher does not necessarily mean the absence is "excused." Such reasons for absence as "visiting," "away from home," "had to go to the store," or "overslept" are clearly due to parents not fully sensing their responsibility and should be classified as unexcused. An absence becomes an unexcused absence only when the teacher or other authorized professional employee has classified the absence as such. The Board of School Directors acts in cases of continued absence. The teacher or attendance officer should investigate excuses of a doubtful nature. A claim of continued or repeated illness justifies the teacher to ask for a statement from a school nurse or doctor.

Written Notice to Parents - The School District's official notice of absence to parents shall be served in person or by mail by the attendance officer, or secretary of the school board, as soon as a pupil has three days or their equivalent, of unexcused absence. Closing of First Offense - The first offense is closed at the end of three calendar days after the serving of the notice, or upon the return of the pupil to school within the three days following the serving of the notice.

Second Offense - After the first offense is closed, the next session during the school year that the child is unlawfully absent becomes the second offense and requires the serving of a warrant on the parent through the office of an alderman, magistrate, or justice of the peace. The serving of the warrant closes the second offense. Each succeeding session of unlawful absence by the same pupil becomes another second offense and the same procedure as outlined in this paragraph is repeated. The school district's official notice of absence to parents is not served in second offense cases. The notice is served after the first three days of unlawful absence and is adequate for the school year.

The counselor must be notified of a pupil's withdrawal from the district. Any pupil leaving the school district must return all school-issued electronic devices and pay any outstanding fees. USCHS will withdraw the pupil once the new school sends a records request.