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Attendance

ATTENDANCE POLICY

Students are expected to be in school daily. There is no substitute for the interaction between students and teachers in a classroom environment. Students who attend school regularly achieve higher grades, enjoy school more, and carry with them a responsible trait to the world of work.

Acceptable excuses for absences are…

  1. Illness of the student (if over two days, may require a note from the doctor);
  2. Required court appearance (documentation required);
  3. Death in the student’s immediate family;
  4. Medical appointments;
  5. Educational experiences pre-approved by the principal; and
  6. Field trips and school authorized activities

When a student is absent from school, please follow these procedures:

  1. The parent of legal guardian should call the school before 10:00 AM to report the absence. Expect a call from the school if we do not hear from you.
  2. When the student returns to school, a written excuse from the parent or legal guardian is required within THREE DAYSof the absence. Written excuses will not be accepted after 3 days.
  3. Make-up work should be completed within three days of the excused absence
  4. Requests for make-up work should be made by contacting the main office.

Read the following carefully:

  1. The principal must notify the parent, guardian, or custodian of his/her child’s excessive absences after the child has accumulated three unlawful absences in a school year.  A letter will be sent home as notification.
  2. After not more than six unlawful absences, the principal must notify the parent, guardian, or custodian by mail that he or she may be in violation of the Compulsory Attendance Law.  A conference will be scheduled by the guidance counselor to meet with the parent/guardian concerning the unlawful absences.
  3. After ten (10) accumulated unexcused absences in a school year, the principal shall review any report or investigation prepared under G.G. 115C-381 and shall confer with the student and the student’s parent, guardian, or custodian, if possible, to determine whether the parent, guardian, or custodian has received notification pursuant to this section and made a good faith effort to comply with the law.  The Assistant Superintendent and the School Social Worker will be notified in writing by the principal of a student’s excessive absences.

Students who miss more the twenty (20) days during a school year will be subject to retention.

Compulsory Attendance Law

The Compulsory Attendance Law (G.S. 115C-378) requires the principal to determine, after ten (10) accumulated unexcused absences in a school year, if the parent or legal guardian has made good faith effort to comply with the law regarding attendance. If he determines that a good faith effort has not been made, then the principal notifies the district attorney’s office and the director of social services.

Tardiness

Students arriving after 8:30 AM are considered tardy. Students arriving late must be accompanied by a parent and report directly to the office before reporting to class. A parent/guardian must check in tardy students using the Check In computer.  Parents are not allowed to walk students to class. Instruction begins promptly at 8:30 AM each day.  Students who are tardy are missing valuable instructional time that cannot be replaced.

Please refer to the following table for the consequences associated with excessive, unexcused tardiness and excessive, unexcused early checkouts. Any combination of tardies and early checkouts will be counted towards the consequences. 

0 – 2 Tardies/Early Checkouts

Verbal Warning

3rd Tardy/Early Checkout

Parent notified by mail

6th Tardy/Early Checkout

A second notification by mail

10th Tardy/Early Checkout

Parent will be contacted by the guidance counselor to set up a conference; School Social Worker will be notified of excessive tardies/early checkouts

Every 3 instances after 10th

Assistant Superintendent and School Social Worker will be notified in writing by the principal of excessive tardies/early checkouts.

This policy will be enforced per semester which means in January, when the second semester begins, unexcused tardies and/or early checkouts will start over. 

A tardy and/or early checkout will be deemed as excused or unexcused in the same manner that absences are deemed lawful or unlawful (Refer to top of Attendance section).

 

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