LIBERTY CHARTER SCHOOL
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Student Attendance Policy
Liberty Charter School recognizes the importance of attendance and punctuality at all grade levels. Regular attendance helps to assure that students are
getting the benefits of a program that is 90% direct instruction at the K-8 level, 75% interdisciplinary study at the 9-12 level along with 20% cooperative
problem solving.

Therefore, excused absences will be health-related circumstances and/or situations documented as extraordinary*.
At the K-8 level - students who recognize the importance of attendance and punctuality will qualify for participate in the Citizen of the Week and Citizen of
the Month Programs.
At the 6-8 level - 3 unexcused absences will result in the dropping of one letter grade in each subject area.
At the High School Level - At Liberty Charter High School, regular attendance and punctuality are a vital part of a student's education. LCHS teachers
implement a high level of direct teaching and interactive learning and both students and teachers are held accountable to complete a set of standards and
benchmarks. These teaching techniques do not allow students to simply make-up concepts missed. In accordance with our charter, LCHS has a 96% attendance
standard. Every effort should be made by students, parents and administration to ensure that students are in attendance and punctual every day. A year-round
school calendar is provided well in advance to allow families to schedule activities during breaks.

Students are expected to attend classes regularly. Each time a student enters a class more than 15 minutes after it has started, or is absent for more than 15
minutes while the class is in session, the student will be charged with an unexcused absence. A student arriving less than 15 minutes late will be tardy, and
three (3) such late arrivals are treated as one (1) unexcused class absence. If a student has more than three (3) unexcused class absences during any school day,
the student will also be noted as having a full day unexcused class absence.

EXCUSED ABSENCES- The Administration and Governing Board recognize that there are circumstances when a student may need to participate in another
event or activity rather than attend class. An absence will be considered "excused" if the student could not attend class because he/she is ill, or is attending a
funeral or wedding of an immediate family member, and the student's parent/guardian provides reasonable evidence that this was the cause of the absence.
However, the cumulative affect of regular class attendance is critical to the learning experience that Liberty Charter offers, which the student missed even
when the absence is excused.

UNEXCUSED ABSENCES- absences due to non-school related activities, club or family events, trips or vacations, and any absences not reported to the school
by a parent/guardian within two school days of the student's return to school.

EFFECT OF CLASS ABSENCES - A student who has class absences from the same class in any one semester is subject to the following sanctions for the class:
Number of Absences
Sanction
3 unexcused absences
The grade the student would otherwise receive is reduced by on full letter grade.
5 unexcused absences or any combination of 9 unexcused and excused absences The student will be given a failing grade for the class.

A student may be subject to sanctions in more than one class if the student has the requisite number of class absences for each class that a sanction is being
applied to.
EFFECT OF SCHOOL DAY ABSENCES - If the student has the indicated number of general school day absences in a semester, then in addition to any sanction
for class absences, the student is subject to the following sanctions.
Number of Absences
Sanction
3 unexcused absences
The grade that the student would otherwise receive in all classes will be reduced by on full letter grade.
5 unexcused absences or any combination of 9 unexcused and excused absences This represents habitual truancy and a request will be submitted to the
Governing Board that the student be permanently expelled from the school.

EXPULSION - A student will be expelled only after the Governing Board has given written notice to the parent/guardian of the student, stating in that notice
that grounds for the proposed expulsion, and specifying a time and place where the parent/guardian of the student may appear to contest the proposed action
of the Board. This notice shall also state that the student has the right to be represented by counsel, to produce witnesses, and to submit evidence on his/her
behalf, and to cross examine any adult witnesses who may appear against him/her.

The Governing Board for Liberty Charter School has reviewed and adopted policies described above and determined that the indicated sanctions, including
the expulsion of the student, would be appropriate unless there are extraordinary circumstances.

TARDY POLICY
Five minutes are provided between classes. A student will receive an unexcused absence if he/she is tardy the first fifteen minutes of any period. Students
arriving after that time are considered truant.
Students are considered tardy if they are not in the classroom when the class begins.
Tardies are accumulated for individual classes each semester.
Three unexcused tardies will be considered any unexcused absence.

Discipline Policy
Kindness will be the number one expectation for Liberty Charter Students in the area of behavior. There will be an emphasis on politeness, honesty, and
integrity. The umbrella under which these areas fall is called discipline, "to disciple."
There will be zero tolerance for unkindness at Liberty Charter School.
If students are kind, there will be no fights, no gangs, and no name calling. Kindness covers all areas that can potentially cause behavior problem in a school
setting.

How will we accomplish our goal of a safe and orderly environment where students can learn and succeed?
First, we must minimize the background noise so teachers have patience with children. We identify background noise as hallway and assembly noise. Second,
students at Liberty Charter School are expected to be polite.

At the High School Level:
DISCIPLINE POLICY
A primary goal at Liberty Charter High School is to provide a safe and orderly atmosphere that is conducive to learning. Students are expected to always be
respectful, polite, honest, kind and to exhibit good work skills and use appropriate language. Students are expected to follow school rules and policies at all
times.
When students commit an infraction, an incident report will be completed and the administrator or designee will determine a consequence.
Students with three (3) or more infractions will appear before a Faculty Board of Review and a behavior plan developed and implemented.
Non-compliance with the behavior plan will result in a Secondary Board of Review that includes parents and community members.
Continued behavior problems will result in an appearance before the Liberty Charter School Governing Board for possible suspension or expulsion.

FIGHTING AND ITS CONSEQUENCES
No aggressive or threatening behavior, harassment, intimidation or fighting will be tolerated at LCHS. Parents will be notified of any such incidence. Fighting
being defined as: pushing, shoving, kicking, pulling or physically connecting in an aggressive manner. Incidences of fighting that are witnessed by faculty
will be considered battery.
1st offense - In School Suspension- 3 days- police notification
2nd offense - Temporary Suspension- 1-5 days - police notification
With the second offense or any subsequent offense, the administrator may make recommendation for Extended Suspension or Expulsion.

WEAPONS
In any incident when a weapon is displayed, used and/or threatened in an aggressive manner, the student will be placed on Emergency Suspension and a
recommendation will be made to the Governing Board for Extended Suspension or Expulsion.

DRUG POLICY
LCHS enforces a no tolerance drug policy. All incidences or suspected incidences will be reported to the administrator and appropriate law enforcement
agency. Disciplinary consequences at school will be developed on a case by case basis.

Miscellaneous High School Policies
School Work Make Up Policy
LCHS policy allows 2 days make up time for each day missed. It is the responsibility of the student to get all missed assignments and complete all missed work.
Make up time will not apply to projects that students have been assigned far in advance and should have been completed prior to the date absent. Lunch
Detention will be assigned to students with late or missing work.

Failure of Course
Students will not be allowed to re-take courses after receiving a failing grade at Liberty Charter High School. The following options need to apply:
Re-take course through independent study from BYU online at parent expense.
Re-take course through summer school at parent expense.

Academic Integrity
Liberty Charter High School considers cheating or academic dishonesty to be a serious violation of school rules and has adopted procedures to deal with
students as follows:
Receive or provide information during a test.
Receive or provide information on tests during an earlier period.
Use unauthorized material on tests.
Use ideas or written material from other sources, i.e., students, professional writers, Internet notes, study guides without acknowledging the source in their own
writing.
Use or copy another student's homework when not authorized by the teacher to do so.
Allow other students to use their work on assignments.

The official school consequences are listed below. In addition to those, the administration will refuse to write any letters of recommendation and will, if
necessary, notify the university if the incident should happen later in the academic year.
First Offense -Student is given a zero on the compromised work. Student will be referred to administration for disciplinary action. Parent and student will sign
a contract that notifies a second offense will lead to student being dropped from the course with an F.
Second Offense -Student will fail the course and will be referred to administration for further disciplinary action with the possibility of expulsion.

SEXUAL HARASSMENT POLICY

Policy document

CYBER BULLYING POLICY

Policy document



School Policies
Copyright 2009 Liberty Charter School
1063 E. Lewis Lane
Nampa, ID 83686