Attendance Line

Our attendance line is available 24 hours a day to help make it more convenient for you to excuse your child's absences. You may, on the morning of the absence or the night before the absence, call either the attendance line or the school as soon as you know your child will be absent. You may also call the attendance line the evening of the absence if you forgot to do so during the day. The attendance line number is 265-1312. All you need to do is answer the six automated questions after the beep, and then the office will be informed of your child's absence. And of course, you can always call our office as well. The office number is 354-6692, and our office hours are 7:30 am until 4:00pm. We certainly appreciate your help! We hope that this feature will make communication with us more convenient for you. We encourage you to take a minute to review our attendance policy outlined below, in case you have any questions.

ATTENDANCE POLICY

To be excused from school, a child must meet guidelines established by state law. Excused absence will be granted for the following reasons:

1. Personal family illnesses/injuries
2. Medical and dental appointments
3. Legal matters, including service on a jury and court appearances
4. Funerals
5. Observance of holidays required by student's religious affiliation with written notification to principal one (1) week prior to holiday.
6. Extenuating circumstances deemed necessary by the principal

If a child is to be absent for any reason, it is the responsibility of the parent(s), guardian, or other person having charge of that child, to notify the school that notification should be by telephone at the beginning of each school day in which the absence is to occur. If a parent or guardian has not notified the school, the school personnel will attempt to notify a parent by telephone that the child is absent. If no contact is made, the parent must call the day the child returns before the student can be excused. Documentation must be received within five (5) school days.

If a student has more than ten absences during a single semester, a grade of "No Credit (NC)" will be issued. The high school will provide notification to the parent or guardian any time a student is to receive a NC due to attendance. This NC may be appealed in writing to the building principal. The appeal will then be considered by the attendance appeals committee.

Verbal communication from the parent or guardian may be considered acceptable by the building principal for five (5) excused absences during a semester period. Beginning with the sixth (6th) absence of a semester period, all absences will be unexcused unless official documentation (doctor's note, verification of a court appearance, memorial service folder, etc.) is provided within five (5) school days of the student returning to school. After this time an unexcused absence can only be changed to excused by the Attendance Appeals Committee. The decision of this committee is final.

In the event of a chronic or recurring illness, documentation by the student's doctor indicating the nature of the chronic or recurring condition will suffice for the doctor's statement required for each individual absence. Documentation of chronic or recurring illness will not extend beyond the end of the current school year.

After a student is absent for any excused reason, all work missed must be made up. It is the responsibility of the student, on the day of return, to make arrangements to see that the work is made up. The student will be given the number of days to make up the work equal to the number of days absent, and work is due immediately for all days of absences at the end of this time. Any exception to this timeline can be made only by the building principal, and only for extenuating reasons which can be substantiated.

If a student is going to be absent, or has been absent, for at least three consecutive school days, parents/guardians may contact the counseling office to have assignments collected for the days missed.

As you are probably aware, attendance is a major predictor of academic success! We thank you in advance for doing everything you possibly can to make sure your student is in school each and every day.