Attendance

 

Why is attendance so important?

Regular attendance is critically important because students who are absent lose instructional time, as well as opportunities to learn, ask questions, socialize with their peers and participate in class activities. Due to this, students with poor attendance via excused/unexcused absences and truancies are more likely to fall behind and fail classes, which can impact academic performance. 

Like many school districts across the nation, Huntley 158’s chronic absenteeism has increased since the pandemic and schools and families need to work together to tackle this problem. We believe that the education of children is a joint effort between parents/guardians and school personnel. Parents can have a positive impact on their child by making regular school attendance a priority. We encourage students and families to build a habit of regular attendance in early grades so students learn right away that going to school on time every day is important. 

Families can support student attendance by:

• Talking about the importance of being at school
• Building regular morning and evening routines
• Scheduling appointments after school or on days of non-attendance
• Not permitting missing school unless your child is truly ill
• Reaching out to the school to discuss the ways the school can support your child, especially if your child is anxious about school (expresses she/he does not want to attend) or has trouble getting to school on time.

While some absences are unavoidable, other situations that cause absences can be scheduled on days of non-attendance. Parents will always make the decision on whether to send their child to school; however, the schools/district have the decision as to what constitutes an excused or unexcused absence. These changes are not meant to be punitive, but meant to build consistency, along with building routines that will assist in strong attendance at school. For more information about recent changes to student attendance, please visit links below.  

We want our students in school so they can achieve success both in school and post graduation. Every day we aim to show students that their presence at school is their power. By being present in school, students gain the power to directly impact their future. Should your child be ill or absent from school for any reason, please contact the school. For your convenience, attendance phone numbers for each school are listed below.

Resources for Families

• Family Attendance Communication from Superintendent (emailed 8.21.26)
• Board Policy 7:70
• 2025-26 Attendance Changes
• Build the Habit of Good Attendance - Attendance Works

 

School Attendance Lines

Chesak: (847) 659-5711
Conley: (847) 659-3711
ECC: (847) 659-5411
Heineman: (847) 659-4311
Huntley High School: (847) 659-6611
Leggee: (847) 659-6211
LIGHT: (847) 659-6137
Mackeben: (847) 659-3411
Marlowe: (847) 659-4711
Martin: (847) 659-5311

Huntley 158 Attendance Dashboard

Below you will find the district’s attendance dashboard. These charts are updated monthly. School-specific attendance data can also be found on school websites (See Attendance under Students & Families).

To compare this year’s attendance data to last year’s, visit the Illinois Report Card. Click Students, then links related to attendance. 

Key Terms / Year-to-Date Absenteeism
No Absence = Students who have missed less than 5% of school days
Trending Chronic = Students missing 5%-7% of school days
Nearly Chronic = Students missing 7.5%-9.9% of school days
Chronically Absent = Students missing 10% or more of school days