Compass Academy
305 S 9th St
St. Charles, IL 60174
To meet our mutual goal for student success, we participate in a partnership and a shared expectation among school, parent, and student that students will be present and on time throughout each day of school. Regular attendance at school results in greater academic success and increased opportunities for supported career exploration and skill development.
Excused Absence
The Illinois State Law defines an excused absence as an absence with a valid cause. Valid causes include:
● Illness, including mental or behavioral health
○ Illinois, Public Act 102-0321 (Senate Bill 1577) allows K-12 students to take up to five excused mental or behavioral health days per school year without needing a doctor's note, with the opportunity to make up missed work. After the second Mental Health Day is used, the student may be referred to the appropriate school support personnel.
● Religious holiday or event
● Death in the immediate family
● Family emergency
● Civic event (105 ILCS 5/26-2a) is defined as an event sponsored by a non-profit organization or governmental entity that is open to the public. "Civic event" includes, but is not limited to, an artistic or cultural performance or educational gathering that supports the mission of the sponsoring non-profit organization
● Situations beyond the student's control, as determined by the school board
● Circumstances that cause reasonable concern for the student's health or safety
● Attending a military honors funeral to sound TAPS1
● Other reasons, as determined by the building principal
● Additionally, a student will be excused up to 5 days in cases where the student’s parent/guardian is an active-duty member of the uniformed services and has been called to duty for, is on leave from, or has immediately returned from deployment to a combat zone or a combat-support posting. The Board of Education, at its discretion, may excuse a student for additional days relative to such leave or deployment.
● Students eligible to vote are excused for up to two hours to vote in a primary, special, or general election
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A doctor's note may be required to excuse a student or for admission to school at any time the administration deems it necessary. Failure to comply with such a request will result in an "unexcused" absence, which may be followed up with:
Unexcused Absence
When a student is unexcused, the parent may recognize the absence as being valid or legitimate; however, the school does not.
Any absence that doesn't fall under any of the "Excused absence" categories is considered unexcused. The following, even with parental consent, are considered to be unexcused absences:
Interventions to address unexcused absences include, but are not limited to:
Tardy
Students must be in the classroom when class is scheduled to start. Students who arrive in the room and/or at the school 1-6 minutes late are tardy.
Truancy
105 ILCS 5/26-2a. A "truant" is defined as a child who is subject to compulsory school attendance and who is absent without valid cause, as defined under this Section, from such attendance for more than 1% but less than 5% of the past 180 school days.
For reference, please refer to the 2025-2026 Student Handbook.
