Murray, NEB- Student absences can easily affect Conestoga’s overall school ranking. An attendance goal is given to all schools in Nebraska. Conestoga’s classification category can increase if this is met. The entire school’s test scores can also be affected by student absences.

Conestoga’s Director Of Curriculum Instruction And Assessment got interviewed and this is what she had to say, “The tests that are used for this classification system are based on grade level standards. Our teachers work very hard to ensure that the content you are learning matches those grade level standards.” She said, “If you are gone and missing that instruction and practice and opportunity to ask questions- it would impact your level of understanding.”

Conestoga is run where if you miss school at the beginning of the year and don’t get instructed on how to do your work, it can be more difficult to learn the things that build on those missed concepts.

Being “excused” vs “unexcused” from school is two different things. Being sick, at a doctor’s appointment, or being on vacation, is considered excused. If you are gone for the day and don’t tell the school, it is considered unexcused.

Bergmeyer states, “The most days a student can be gone who is with us from the first day of the year to the last day of the year is 15 but this is dependent upon snow days.” That would end up being 10 percent of the entire year. In other words, if you go to Conestoga in August, you can be gone 10 percent of the time until the end of the school year.