📚 What Illinois Parents Need to Know About School Attendance

Staying on top of your child's school attendance is one of the most important ways to support their success. Here's what every Illinois parent should know:

✅ 1. Attendance Matters for Learning

Missing just 2 days per month adds up to nearly a month of lost learning each year.
Regular attendance helps students:

• Stay on track with reading and math

• Build strong habits

• Graduate on time

📉 2. Chronic Absenteeism is Tracked 

⚖️ 3. Illinois Law Requires Attendance

Under the Illinois School Code, students between ages 6 and 17 are required to attend school.
Parents can face truancy referrals or other consequences if absences go unaddressed.

📝 4. Know What Counts as Excused

Valid excused absences include:

• Illness (with or without a doctor’s note, depending on frequency)

• Religious holidays

• Death in the family

Note: Schools may request documentation after multiple absences.

❌ 5. Unexcused Absences Add Up

Vacations, missing the bus, or non-medical reasons often count as unexcused—and even excused absences still count toward chronic absenteeism if they exceed the limit.

💬 6. Schools Are Here to Help

If you're facing challenges like:

• Health issues

• Transportation problems

• Housing instability
  We have support teams, counselors, or social workers who can help you find solutions.

🎉 7. Good Attendance Will Be Rewarded

All Cooke Students with 95% attendance or better for the school year will receive an exclusive invitation to an event in May.

📆 Stay Involved, Stay Informed

Cooke will be sharing with our families, each month, your child's attendance info so that you know how well your child is doing with attendance. Together, we can help every student succeed!