Attendance

The School District of Springfield Township has a strong commitment to fostering student achievement and partnering with families to promote student success.  We want your child in school and learning every day.  Families are bound and required by law to ensure that their children are present every day during the school year except for the legal exceptions cited below.

To report absences, please see the Safe Arrival procedures below.

To contact your child's attendance office, please use the following email addresses:

Excused Absences

All students have 10 non-consecutive school days that may be excused by a parent/guardian note for one of the following reasons:

  • Illness (physical or mental)
  • Observance of religious holidays by a bona fide religious group
  • Family Emergency, including death in the family
  • Impassable Roads
  • Recovery from Accident
  • Family Educational Travel, Tours, and Trips (See procedures below)

*Nurse dismissals during the school day are automatically coded as an excused absence. 

Students who are absent for more than 3 consecutive days for a physical or mental illness require a doctor’s note. The district offers support to students who have a documented medical condition that requires them to miss school for an extended period of time.  

  • Educational Hospitalization- students who are currently in the hospital for physical or mental treatment and are not able to attend school may be eligible for educational services.  Please contact your child’s counselor for additional information and to excuse your child’s absence.
  • Intermittent Absences- students who require on-going care and miss school frequently due to appointments may be eligible for an excused intermittent absence.  Please contact your child’s counselor for additional information.
  • Homebound Instruction- students who are unable to physically attend school related to a physical illness for a period over two weeks and less than six weeks may be eligible to receive homebound instruction.  Please contact your child’s school counselor for more information.

Students may also receive an excused absence with a note for one of the following reasons:

  • Quarantine (must provide documentation from the Office of Public Health)
  • Required Court Appearance (must provide court documents or subpoena)

Once a student reaches 10 days of absences in a given school year, families must submit a doctor’s note for each subsequent absence.  Absences without a doctor’s note will be considered unexcused.  

Please note, attendance at all athletic events, activities, and after school events is governed by the Student-Athlete Family Handbook.  

Reporting Absences: Safe Arrival

Safe Arrival is a new, more efficient student absence reporting system!

This new system will reduce the time it takes to verify student attendance, make it easier for you to report your child’s absence and reduce the time that it takes for staff to respond to unexplained student absences.

With SafeArrival, you are asked to report your child’s absence in advance using any of these three (3) convenient methods:

  • Option 1: Using your mobile device, download and install the SchoolMessenger app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store (or from the links at home.schoolmessenger.com.) The first time you use the app, select Sign Up to create your account. Select Attendance then Report an Absence.
  • Option 2: Use the SafeArrival website, home.schoolmessenger.com. The first time you use the website, select Sign Up to create your account. Select Attendance then Report an Absence.
  • Option 3: Call the toll-free number (866) 736-9208 to report an absence using the automated phone system.

These options are available 24 hours/day, 7 days a week. Future absences can be reported at any time.

In addition, we will use the SchoolMessenger Communicate automated notification system to contact parents with an absent child when the absence is not reported in advance. The automated notification system will attempt to reach families through multiple contact points until a reason is submitted for the absence.

If you report your child’s absence in advance using the SafeArrival toll-free number, website or mobile app, you will NOT receive these notifications.

Starting September 2nd, 2025, please report absences in advance using SafeArrival instead of sending notes or calling/emailing the school. Our staff will also begin to use the Safe Arrival notification on this date to inform you of your student's absence, if and when you have not reported the absence in advance.

**Please note: Early Dismissals and Late Arrivals can be reported through Safe Arrival prior to 9:30am each day. After 9:30am, Late Arrivals will require a note when your child gets to school and Early Dismissals will need to be shared via an email or phone call to the school.

For additional resources on Parent Portal and Safe Arrival, please check out our SMORE Resource.