Every parent, guardian or other person having custody and control of a child between the ages of six and 16 years shall cause such child regularly to attend the public schools of the district or a day school in which there is given instruction equivalent to that provided in the public schools for children of similar grades and attainments or to receive equivalent instruction elsewhere than at school.

Philip’s Academy follows New Jersey state guidelines regarding excused absences, which are defined by specific criteria. These include absences for religious observance, civic events for grades 6 through 12, up to three college visits each school year for 11th and 12th graders, participation in Veterans’ Day observance, Take Our Children to Work Day, board of election membership activities, and instances where a district’s closure leaves students without transportation. However, absences due to illness, family vacations, suspensions, or similar reasons are not classified as state-excused absences.

Important to Note: State-excused absences are recorded differently in compliance with New Jersey's ESSA guidelines. They are deducted from the total possible days of attendance rather than being counted as attended days. For example, a student attending 179 out of 180 days due to a state-excused absence would be recorded as having 179 cumulative days present out of 179 possible.

While Philip's Academy may define additional categories of "excused" and "unexcused" absences for purposes related to truancy, student conduct, and course credit, only state-recognized absences are reported as excused to the NJDOE. For more details, visit the New Jersey Department of Education’s website.