An attendance officer is a school official tasked with looking into cases of long-term student absences. Attendance officers enforce mandatory attendance laws and keep track of the health and well-being of students in their schools or districts. Depending on how the schools in a given area are run, an attendance officer may be hired a single campus or a school district. Anyone who has worked as an attendance officer in the past should be able to find work in any school district.
Periodic absences are not cause for alarm because students may be ill, on vacation with their parents, or involved in other activities that require them to miss school; however, the district usually requires that the absence be excused with a letter or note that explains why the student is absent. The attendance officer becomes involved if a student misses multiple days of school and no arrangements have been made to compensate for the absence. Students who miss school for long periods of time may be breaking the law.
Attendance officers look into why students are missing school and whether or not their parents are aware of the situation. The attendance officer determines whether or not the absence is legal if the parents are aware. If parents choose to homeschool their children and the district records are not updated, the students appear absent but are actually being educated at home, and the absence is perfectly legal.
Child welfare representatives may be called in if an attendance officer notices a health or safety issue that makes it difficult for a student to attend school. Attendance officers also look for issues like juvenile delinquency or abuse that could be causing students to miss school. Attendance officers can offer students counseling and other resources, such as tutoring referrals, to help them get back into school and stay on track.
An attendance officer’s job is to ensure that all children receive the education that the government requires, as well as to identify situations that endanger the health and safety of children so that appropriate action can be taken. Attendance officers are also involved with students who have discipline issues, such as those who skip school without their parents’ knowledge. Attendance officers, like other school district employees, have access to pension plans and other benefits, and can make their jobs into lifelong careers.