Attendance Procedures & FAQs

Excused absences: In accordance with state law, 118.15(3)(c), a parent/guardian cannot exceed 10 days per school year of excusing their student.  

Unexcused absences: If a student is absent from school without an acceptable excuse for part or all of 5 or more days during a school semester, they are considered a “habitual truant” under the law (118.16) and are subject to legal consequences.

Tardies: A student is considered tardy if they arrive to class after the bell rings without a pass. If it is more than 10 minutes late, they would be considered absent-unexcused, but are expected to remain in class.  If a student is tardy 15 or more times during a school semester, they are no longer considered a Student in Good Standing for the remainder of that semester.

See the entire OASD Board Policy about attendance

Please inform the Attendance Office before 10 AM on the day(s) of the absence by calling (920) 424-4090 ext 4. Please provide your name, your child's name, and the reason for the absence.  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call our office at the same number. The absence will be considered unexcused until we hear from you, and all absences must be called in within 48 hours to be excused.

If possible, please send a note with your child to Student Services before their appointment. This note will be exchanged for a pass to leave the building at the time specified in the note. Students must sign out at either Door 24 or Door 38 before leaving.

Alternatively, you can call us in advance at (920) 424-4090  ext 4 to let us know your child's name, reason for leaving, and which door you will pick them up from (either Door 24 or Door 38). If you leave a voicemail, please ensure to include all the necessary information.

A Student Services staff member will write a pass for your child to leave and will have it delivered to them during one of their classes before their appointment time.

Please let us know as soon as possible if there is a last-minute appointment so that we can ensure the pass is delivered on time. We do not call or page into classrooms during class to avoid disrupting the learning of other students.

Please have your child pick up a Pre-Planned Absence Form from the Student Services Office (or click here to print it at home). Please fill out and sign the form.

Next, your child should take the form to each of their teachers to collect any homework or assignments they will miss while they are away. This will help them stay up-to-date with their studies and not fall behind.

After all the teachers have signed off on the form, your child will return it to Student Services. They should keep the third page of the form which lists the work they need to complete while they are away.

The form will then be forwarded to your child's Assistant Principal who will review it to determine if the absence will be excused or unexcused under school policy and state law.

Once the form has been processed, the attendance secretary will scan and email it back to you for your records.

Important: According to OASD policy, students on vacation, out of the state or country longer than 10 consecutive days will be withdrawn from school.

Students who are absent from school, whether the absence was excused or unexcused, are permitted to make up coursework and assessments missed during the absence when they return to school. It is the student's responsibility to contact their teachers while absent if possible or immediately upon return from an absence to determine what coursework and assessments must be made-up. Teachers will work with students on how and when make-up course work shall be completed (i.e. grant extensions, have a student complete an assessment outside of regular school hours, provide alternative coursework, etc). 

Students should complete work for pre-planned absences (i.e. field trips, sports and co-curricular events, vacations, etc.) before leaving, or set up an agreed upon pre-plan with their teachers for make-up work. Students enrolled in dual credit (CAPP, FVTC) courses must adhere to the make up policy for that course.

If your child was out of school for an excusable reason, and the absence should be excused, please call (920) 424-4090 ext 4 to excuse the absence.

Check the Infinite Campus Parent Portal to find out which class period(s) were missed and have a discussion with your child to find out where they were at that time.  

Mistakes do happen - If the absence was marked in error, have your child stop in the Student Services Office to pick up a pink “Clear Up” Slip for their teacher to sign to verify they were actually present in class.

All attendance clear-ups must happen within 48 hours of the absence.

This occurs if your child has exceeded the 10 allowable excused absences per year under Wisconsin statute 118.15(3)(c).  After the 10th absence, you will receive this notice in the mail stating that a medical excuse will need to be provided in order for future absences to be excused.

Please call the school at (920) 424-4090.  If your concern is related to a physical health condition, please ask to speak with our School Nurse who will be able to assist you. For concerns related to mental health, please ask to speak with your child's counselor who can provide support and connect your child with resources if needed. Our goal is to ensure that your child receives the best possible care and support while attending school as much as possible.

Under Wisconsin statute 118.15(3)(c), in order for future absences to be excused, you will need to provide a written statement from a licensed healthcare provider (like a doctor, psychologist, or dentist) as proof. The statement should have the student's name and how long the student will be absent. If your child has an appointment, the statement should include the time of the appointment and if they will be absent for the whole day or just the appointment. If no medical excuse is provided, the absence will be unexcused.

If a student is absent from school without an acceptable excuse for part or all of 5 or more days during a school semester, they are considered a “habitual truant” under the law (118.16).  

After a student reaches the threshold for habitual truancy, a conference is held between the student and an administrator.  During the conference, the root causes of the unexcused absences will be identified.  The student and the administrator will collaboratively develop a contract to determine supports needed to improve attendance and set goals for improvement.  The student’s parent/guardian will be contacted to inform them of the contract.

If the student does not meet the goals of the contract, they will be referred to the SRO for a possible truancy ticket, which can result in fines and/or loss or delay of the student’s driver’s license.  The student could also be referred to Winnebago County Juvenile Justice.  The student will no longer be considered a Student in Good Standing for the remainder of the semester, which means they will lose the opportunity to participate in dances, junior/senior privilege, and other privileges as determined by administration for that semester.

This happened because your child was absent from school without an acceptable excuse for part or all of 5 or more days during the current semester, and is subject to legal consequences.  However, we want to prevent legal consequences and take steps to understand the situation, provide support, and set goals for improvement.  Here is what a sample attendance contract looks like.

If the student does not follow through on the contract, they will be referred to the SRO for a possible truancy ticket from the Oshkosh Police Department or referral to Winnebago County Juvenile Justice.  They will also no longer be considered a “Student In Good Standing” for the remainder of the semester, which results in the loss of the following privileges:

• Attendance at school dances (Homecoming, Snowblast, Prom, etc.)

• Participation in Junior/Senior Privilege (a 3.00 GPA is also needed to qualify)

• Purchase of a parking permit

• Participation in any other school privilege as designated by West administration

Unfortunately, no.  Oshkosh West is fully in-person and we do not have the means to provide virtual instruction.  If you feel that virtual school is the best option for your child’s education, please visit the OASD eAcademy website (please note that eAcademy only accepts new enrollments at certain times during the year).  Any questions about OASD’s eAcademy can be directed to their staff listed on their website.

You can also enroll your child in a virtual charter school.  Please note, this option requires unenrolling your child from the Oshkosh Area School District and they will no longer be an Oshkosh West High School student.

As a parent or guardian, some effective strategies you can employ are:

• Be firm and consistent about your expectation that your child attends school.

• Let your child know that while physical symptoms of anxiety, such as headaches, stomachaches, and fatigue are unpleasant, they are not dangerous.

• Remind your teen they are capable of persevering even when experiencing physical anxiety.

• Make staying home boring - Do not allow access to entertainment and video games when your child stays home.

• Consult with a mental health professional who specializes in anxiety and can support you in helping your child re-engage in school.  Our pupil services team can assist you with connecting your child to community counseling and/or other treatment options, if necessary.

If your child is still avoiding school despite these strategies, our pupil services team will assist you in developing a plan for your student’s success, support your child’s needs, and help them feel more comfortable in school.  Please call (920) 424-4090 and ask to speak with your child’s counselor.

Although you can excuse your child from school for up to 10 days for personal reasons, please remember there are eight staff professional development days (no school days for students) built into the school calendar.  We encourage your child to use these non-school dates as mental health days so they do not miss important instruction. 

A student is deemed tardy when not in the classroom or designated area by the bell signifying the start of class. Any student not in the classroom when the bell rings will be considered “tardy” and will be marked “tardy” on that class period’s daily attendance. Tardies are defined as arriving up to 10 minutes late for class. At 10 minutes and beyond, students will be marked absent, but are expected to stay in class.

Tier 1 - 1st-9th Tardy

• Students will be marked tardy on classroom attendance and be made aware of their tardies and the expectation of being in class when the bell rings. (teacher)  

• Tardy warning is sent to student and family after 5th tardy.

Tier 2 - 10th Tardy

• Letter sent to student and family. 

Tier 3 - 15th Tardy

• Letter sent to student and family.  

• Student will no longer be considered a Student in Good Standing for the remainder of the semester, which means they will lose the opportunity to participate in dances, junior/senior privilege, and other privileges as determined by administration for that semester. 

• If tardiness continues, detentions could be issued and/or student will be referred to the SRO for a possible Unauthorized on School Grounds ticket, which can result in fines, community service, or other legal consequences.

No.  While the tardies may appear as green (excused) on the parent portal, this is actually a quirk with the Infinite Campus system and does not indicate that the tardies are excused. In fact, all tardies are considered unexcused regardless of their color coding on the portal.