Hellobee Boards Topic: Have you exceeded the "allowed" # of school sick days?

Hellobee Boards Topic: Have you exceeded the "allowed" # of school sick days? https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Mon, 20 Apr 2026 17:59:59 +0000 Corduroy on "Have you exceeded the "allowed" # of school sick days?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-exceeded-the-allowed-of-school-sick-days#post-2872143 Thu, 14 Feb 2019 22:07:59 +0000 Corduroy 2872143@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Since DD was out sick, DD's teacher dropped off her class valentines to our house. It was so sweet and so unexpected. Our entryway opens right into our kitchen table so even on our cleanest days looking presentable is a challenge. Today was not one of our cleanest days. We're KonMarie-ing and 6 days into kid fevers. I wasn't there but DH answered the door in his PJs. I guess we need to get Ring. 🤦 DesertDreams88 on "Have you exceeded the "allowed" # of school sick days?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-exceeded-the-allowed-of-school-sick-days#post-2872063 Thu, 14 Feb 2019 13:22:48 +0000 DesertDreams88 2872063@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @Corduroy: cool didn't know that, thanks for the tip Sams Mom on "Have you exceeded the "allowed" # of school sick days?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-exceeded-the-allowed-of-school-sick-days#post-2872049 Thu, 14 Feb 2019 12:08:00 +0000 Sams Mom 2872049@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @Corduroy: I grew up in a town with a military base, our school district had almost all of the military kids. They take attendance seriously, because aside from the state funding, they lose federal funding for snow days and sicks days. All that to say, the district I attended was as strict as the CA policy you sited, and maybe more so in certain situations. Like we had lots of early releases instead of snow days so that they could meet minimum hours for funding. ALV91711 on "Have you exceeded the "allowed" # of school sick days?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-exceeded-the-allowed-of-school-sick-days#post-2872048 Thu, 14 Feb 2019 12:04:30 +0000 ALV91711 2872048@https://boards.hellobee.com/ A letter just went out from our school yesterday about this. If a student misses more than 10% of school time then they will contact the parents to come up with a plan. They also discourage taking kids out of school for vacations. DS is in kinder and we are taking him out for three extra days at spring break as we will be away and are staying for my grandmas 90th birthday. So far this year he has missed 4 days, mostly due to weather, the schools here don’t close. Mrs. Train on "Have you exceeded the "allowed" # of school sick days?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-exceeded-the-allowed-of-school-sick-days#post-2872047 Thu, 14 Feb 2019 12:02:13 +0000 Mrs. Train 2872047@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I would contact your school as well with your concerns about meeting the 10 day limit. They might be lenient on the note if they sent your kid home from school with a fever, because clearly they needed to go home. I am a teacher in Southern California and this season seems to be particularly bad with colds, stomach bugs, and other illnesses. I have had so many student absences I can hardly keep on track with my lessons. Just check in the with school and see what you need to do. Corduroy on "Have you exceeded the "allowed" # of school sick days?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-exceeded-the-allowed-of-school-sick-days#post-2872010 Thu, 14 Feb 2019 10:14:29 +0000 Corduroy 2872010@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Good news, I found out I can get a doctor's note at no extra fee for up to three days by calling into the advice line. It has to be picked up in person but the office is in the same direction as my office and DH's so as long as one of us is going into our office it shouldn't be a big deal. I don't need the note yet but I'm testing out the system today to see how it goes (DD was sent home with a fever yesterday and therefore out today which is was the source of the concern that we'll hit the 10 days). irene on "Have you exceeded the "allowed" # of school sick days?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-exceeded-the-allowed-of-school-sick-days#post-2872009 Thu, 14 Feb 2019 10:12:27 +0000 irene 2872009@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @Anagram: @Foodnerd81: @Corduroy: Thank you -- good to know. That is really bizarre (and wrong!) the school gets penalized for a student's absence. If someone should be penalized it should be the parents who decide to take days off of school for no reason / vacation and they should pay for the day :bummed: Or money should be taken away from the student who oversleeps.... buy an alarm clock! lol It is ultimately the student's responsibility to be on time. Maybe that would give them some incentive to get up in the morning. As for abusing the system, I am always too chicken to take DS out of school just to go for vacation, but I know people do that! Otherwise it is so odd for me that people would keep their kids home for "convenience". Sometimes I feel the school is abusing / taking advantage of me with the no-school snow days lol. (especially in where I am in, they close down schools for the *fear* of snow) @Corduroy: I think you shouldn't worry! As long as you keep in touch with your teacher when your DD is sick, I am sure you are fine, I would think. Besides, flu season will be over soon.... a few more weeks! :wink: I don't think you will exceed 10 sick days. bhbee on "Have you exceeded the "allowed" # of school sick days?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-exceeded-the-allowed-of-school-sick-days#post-2872008 Thu, 14 Feb 2019 10:08:23 +0000 bhbee 2872008@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @Corduroy: the CA policy seems harsh! I guess though maybe they figure it evens out across schools if it’s being used legitimately? I think here (TX) they only seem to worry about unexcused (at least that is what is communicated to parents, I could definitely be wrong). The elementary schools in our area would be in big trouble right now, they’ve had up to 50% of classes out with a flu that is spreading like crazy and many kids (mine included) are missing a full week for fever. Corduroy on "Have you exceeded the "allowed" # of school sick days?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-exceeded-the-allowed-of-school-sick-days#post-2872002 Thu, 14 Feb 2019 10:00:25 +0000 Corduroy 2872002@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @irene: 'Schools don't get funding if a student is out' is something I've always heard but your response made me curious. Here's what I found for CA "school districts do not receive any funding for excused absences. If a child is enrolled in school, but has the flu or is absent for an excused reason, the school is penalized that day. Even though the school operates the same, the salaries are the same, the work is the same, and the child is still enrolled, the school is penalized if the child is out sick." I don't know if cold is the right word, maybe I should have said virus, but DD got a fever Friday night had it until Monday morning. Then you need 24 hours without a fever. Had she gotten sick on a weeknight rather than the weekend she would have been out 4 days right there. She does go to school if she isn't violating the policy. She's been in daycare since 4 months so we're not exactly coddling her. For abusing sick days I meant that parents lie and say the kid is sick but take them out of school for a short vacation. In our area it is common for kids to be pulled out of school for a month to attend a wedding or visit grandparents overseas. It's common enough that they published a policy on that so parents wouldn't just call in sick. periwinklebee on "Have you exceeded the "allowed" # of school sick days?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-exceeded-the-allowed-of-school-sick-days#post-2871993 Thu, 14 Feb 2019 09:27:10 +0000 periwinklebee 2871993@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Your ped's office may provide the note without requiring you to come in for an office visit, but rather after just having you describe symptoms on the phone. It doesn't hurt to ask. @irene: I think it can depend on the child. It a kid has asthma/other respiratory issues or tends to get fevers with colds, it can affect them a lot ore than it would other kids. Foodnerd81 on "Have you exceeded the "allowed" # of school sick days?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-exceeded-the-allowed-of-school-sick-days#post-2871986 Thu, 14 Feb 2019 09:09:41 +0000 Foodnerd81 2871986@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @irene: I think there are tons of reasons for “abusing” the system. One that jumps to mind is a student my mom teaches, whose grandmother minds him during the day and doesn’t drive. If he oversleeps, he misses the bus and can’t go to school that day, and no one at home makes sure he doesn’t oversleep. Or she has other students who choose to take their kids out of school for vacations during no school vacation times. In the school’s view, those would be unexcused absences. DesertDreams88 on "Have you exceeded the "allowed" # of school sick days?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-exceeded-the-allowed-of-school-sick-days#post-2871978 Thu, 14 Feb 2019 08:51:59 +0000 DesertDreams88 2871978@https://boards.hellobee.com/ In our state, the truancy program is very underfunded, and our specific school thusly does not pursue any consequences. Every year I have a couple of students missing 40+ days. They are in for a rude awakening in high school. All the high schools I know say if you have 13 or more absences or tardies, excused or not, you lose credit for the course. Just please make sure you contact the teacher to try to get make-up work or just an update on what your child missed. Anagram on "Have you exceeded the "allowed" # of school sick days?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-exceeded-the-allowed-of-school-sick-days#post-2871967 Thu, 14 Feb 2019 08:35:04 +0000 Anagram 2871967@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @irene: a school's ratings, and in almost every state, part of their funding, comes from school attendance. When parents look for a "good school" and they look at things like Niche.com, greatschools.com, and even their own state's school report cards, student attendance is one of the things that contributes to a school's report card. On top of that, if schools don't maintain a certain ratio of school attendance, they can lose some of their funding, or they can be put on "probation" by the state, which is a huge headache for schools--that means a lot more state visits, more time spent preparing for these visits, which means less time preparing for the kids that are actually attending the schools. I work in a school and there are kids every year who will have 15-30 "sick" days and sick in those families can be anything from their kid just doesn't feel like going, to their tummy aches (every single day), to they have a sniffle, to they have anxiety. So, the schools have to start asking for doctor's notes at some point. I wouldn't take it personally. But schools have to keep records--they are legally obligated to provide an education to every student, even if that student has an acute illness like cancer (they might do home instruction in that case) or even if they have a parent that doesn't value school and keeps their kids home for any reason. So of course, even parents of kiddos with legit reasons for missing 10 days will have to provide some kind of documentation. It's just creating a paper trail and some CYA for the district. I can't vouch for every state, but we have state inspections every other year where officials actually come and examine all our record keeping, including tracking student absences, financial paperwork, staffing paperwork, student educational files, etc. Mrs. Lion on "Have you exceeded the "allowed" # of school sick days?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-exceeded-the-allowed-of-school-sick-days#post-2871960 Thu, 14 Feb 2019 07:42:46 +0000 Mrs. Lion 2871960@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Not all districts are the same, but in any one I have ever taught in absences only matter if it is a big problem (aka social worker needs to become involved because of 20+ absences that are not medical related). It matters more in high school when the work would need to be made up. As a teacher and parent I appreciate you keeping your sick kids at home. There is no elementary school work more important than that. If it comes down to it, take the unexcused absence. At least where I live, it doesn't matter at all. misolee on "Have you exceeded the "allowed" # of school sick days?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-exceeded-the-allowed-of-school-sick-days#post-2871952 Thu, 14 Feb 2019 02:50:18 +0000 misolee 2871952@https://boards.hellobee.com/ So with our district... there's no specific allotted number of sick days but 10 days is the normal time frame before the school reports you for missing too much school. But that's 10 unexcused absences. Excused absences are given a clear. If your child is at home sick with a fever, you can write a note yourself and send it in and that counts as excused. Now obviously, there are some ppl who abuse the system and if the school is suspicious they have the right to ask for a doctor's note. Also, if you're out sick for a long time at once, there's a specific form and doctor's note you fill out. irene on "Have you exceeded the "allowed" # of school sick days?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-exceeded-the-allowed-of-school-sick-days#post-2871945 Thu, 14 Feb 2019 01:12:29 +0000 irene 2871945@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I don't believe there is a limit with us, but what do you mean "the schools don't get money if the kids are out"....? On another hand, why would 1 cold take down 3 days?I sound like a terrible mom but I honestly do send DS to school if he has a sniffle, without a fever, and is running around acting very normal. This year we had 1 oral surgery, 1 vomiting episode, 1 ear infection (right now), several colds. I am looking, and we had 2 absence and 2 tardies (could have been 3 tardies now as I took him out early to go see the doc for ear infection on Monday). For us, if you take your child out early, as long as it reaches x amount of hours (forgot how many) it is not count as an absence. Then I don't understand why would other parents abuse the system by not letting their kids go to school and exceeding 10 days of sick days? Don't they have to go to work? Or do you mean they take the kids out for vacations at non-school-holiday times? bhbee on "Have you exceeded the "allowed" # of school sick days?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-exceeded-the-allowed-of-school-sick-days#post-2871943 Thu, 14 Feb 2019 01:00:26 +0000 bhbee 2871943@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I don’t think we have a limit but that just seems cruel. We’re on a HDHP and it costs almost $100 per pedi visit. LO is missing 5 days this week for flu we expect and missed one for strep and I bet lots of people are in that situation so I’d definitely ask ... or maybe you can get a note for the longer illness and those won’t count against you or something? There must be a way to make it manageable, maybe your pedi office even has a method if it’s common in your area. Sams Mom on "Have you exceeded the "allowed" # of school sick days?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-exceeded-the-allowed-of-school-sick-days#post-2871933 Wed, 13 Feb 2019 22:47:11 +0000 Sams Mom 2871933@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @Corduroy: my little sister used to get strep 3 times every school year, and my mom would have to get a note on the 2nd sometimes 3rd round every year. Strep is easier to justify the doctor visit for though. 🤷🏼‍♀️ I would just email the principal's administrative assistant and ask. Because now that I think about it, it might have been a doctor's note was required for the 3rd consecutive day. So like if you missed 1 or 2 days, a note/call from Mom sufficed; doctor note required by the 3rd day of the same illness. Corduroy on "Have you exceeded the "allowed" # of school sick days?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-exceeded-the-allowed-of-school-sick-days#post-2871931 Wed, 13 Feb 2019 22:24:50 +0000 Corduroy 2871931@https://boards.hellobee.com/ DD is in our local public Kindergarten. The school has the normal sick policy (no fever/vomiting/diarrhea for 24 hours, etc). There's also a policy that if you miss 10 days in one year you have to get a doctor's note for each additional abscence. That policy is entering the math of when I keep DD home. It hasn't tipped the scales yet but this week we'll be jumping from 3 abscences to 7 and it's feeling like we're one cold away from 10. Working and having sick kids is hard and I can't imagine dragging them out to an unnecessary doctor's appointment and paying a copay for a note on day 1 of a cold. And yes, I know people abuse sick days and the schools don't get money if the kids are out. But if you don't want my sick kids at school maybe the limit shouldn't be so low. Do schools really hold to that policy or am I worried for nothing? I haven't really slept since Thursday night and I'm really stressed about the work I'm missing.