Extended Leave
Policy.
Definition of Extended Leave
Below you will find the Extended Leave of Absence Policy for Odyssey Charter School. If your child will be missing 5 or more days of school, we may use this policy.
An extended leave for students is defined by Odyssey Charter School as five to ten or more days (grades K through 8) or five or more days (grades 9 through 12) away from school, where the student is in good standing (as defined below) and is temporarily residing out of state. Both the parent(s) and the school administration must agree that the period of leave is for good cause, and the following provisions apply.
Conditions for Approval
Odyssey Charter School discourages extended leaves of absence for students. Parent requests for students to be out of school for an extended period of time (for example, a parent’s work requiring a temporary transfer or sabbatical out of state, a family emergency in another country, etc.) will only be considered if the following conditions are met:
The total time of the extended leave is not for more than 30 school days.
The leave must not take place during September, or any of the first 30 school days of the year.
If the leave extends through the end of the school year, the student must be residing in Delaware by August 1st of that year.
The leave must not take place during more than one school year.
The student’s past academic performance must be very good.
The student’s past behavioral performance must be very good.
The student’s past attendance history must be very good.
If an extended leave is granted it may not be granted in subsequent years.
If the absence takes place during the state mandatory assessment window, all assessments must be completed prior to the student departure or immediately following the student's return, if the return date is still within the testing window. The date of the make-up assessment will be determined by OCS faculty.
The parent must agree to the school’s conditions regarding withdrawing from the school and subsequent re-admittance.
Coursework and Assessments
Teachers are not expected to provide students with work in advance prior to the period of leave, nor are they expected to provide make-up work for students when they return. However, when the student returns essential assessments, projects, etc., may be required to be completed. These essentials will be determined by the teacher.
Withdrawal & Readmission
Any extended leaves of absence not meeting the above conditions will result in the student’s withdrawal from Odyssey Charter School.
If readmitting after 4 weeks (20 school days):
Parent/guardian will have to provide new proof of residency
Parent/guardian will need to provide a new emergency card
If the student is out of the country for 30 calendar days, a negative TB test is required
It is possible the student may be required to be tested back into grade level depending on how much time was missed overall
Extended Leave Application
To apply for an extended leave of absence, please download and complete the application form. All applications must be emailed to tracie.principe@odyssey.k12.de.us.