Absences
Absences are excused in accordance with School Board Rule 5200. Student Attendance – Specific Responsibilities. Please be advised that notes to excuse an absence must be submitted to the main office within three (3) days of the student’s return to school. The hours to excuse an absence are during their independent time. Unexcused absences do not require that the teacher provide make-up work for the student.
Reasonable excuses for time missed at school:
- Personal illness of the student (medical evidence may be required by the Principal for absences exceeding five (5) consecutive days). The written statement must include all days the student has been absent from school. If a student is continually sick and repeatedly absent from school due to a specific medical condition, s/he must be under the supervision of a health care provider in order to receive excused absences from school.
- Court appearance of the student, subpoena by law enforcement agency, or mandatory court appearance.
- Absence due to a medical appointment requires a written statement from a health care provider indicating the date and time of the appointment and submitted to the Principal.
- An approved school activity (absences recorded but not reported).
- Other absences with prior approval of the Principal.
- Attendance at a center under Department of Children and Families supervision
- Significant community events with prior permission of the Principal. When more than one (1) school is involved, the Region Superintendent will determine the status of the absence.
- Observance of a religious holiday or service when it is mandated for all members of a faith that such a holiday or service should be observed.
- Death in the immediate family.
- School-sponsored event or educational enrichment activity that is not a school-sponsored event, as determined and approved by the Principal. The student must receive advance written permission from the Principal. Examples of special events include: public functions, conferences, and regional, State, and national competitions.
- Outdoor suspension.
- Other individual student absences beyond the control of the parent or student, as determined and approved by the Principal, requires documentation related to the condition.
Unexcused absences include absences due to:
- vacations, personal services, local non-school event, program or sporting activity;
- older students providing day care services for siblings;
- illness of others;
- non-compliance with immunization requirements (unless lawfully exempted).
A student accumulating ten (10) or more class unexcused absences in an annual course or five (5) or more class unexcused absences in a designated semester course may have quarterly, semester and final grade(s) withheld pending an administrative screening and completion of assigned interventions by the Attendance Review Committee.
Unexcused absences shall not be grounds for suspension from school but may result in detention or placement in existing alternative programs.
Any student who fails to attend any regularly scheduled class and has no excuse for absence should be referred to the appropriate administrator. Disciplinary action should include notification to parents or guardians. Chronic truancy or deliberate nonattendance in excess of fifteen (15) school days within a ninety (90) calendar day period shall be sufficient grounds for withdrawal of students sixteen (16) years of age or older, who are subject to compulsory school attendance under F.S. 1003.21.
The student shall:
- attend classes 180 days each school year;
- request the make-up assignments for all excused absences/tardiness from teachers upon return to school or class within three (3) days;
- It should be noted that all classwork, due to the nature of instruction, is not readily subject to make-up work.
- complete the make-up assignments for classes missed within the equivalent number of days absent;
- Failure to make up all assignments will result in a lower assessment of the student’s academic and/or effort grade.
- be reported as present for the school day in order to participate in athletic and extracurricular activities.
The parent shall:
- be responsible for their child’s school attendance as required by law and stress the importance of regular and punctual school attendance with their child;
- report and explain an absence or tardiness to the school;
- ensure that the child has requested and completes make-up assignments for all excused absences/tardiness from the teachers upon return to school or class;
- .appear before the Attendance Review Committee at the scheduled time to provide information relating to their child’s absences and to support prescribed activities.
In addition, parent notes will be accepted as excused only for the first five (5) absences during each school year. After the student’s fifth excused absence in a given school year, the school will only accept official documentation from a medical provider.
Religious Holidays: Students must provide documentation from an authorized religious organization.
College Visits: Before visit, student must provide the invitation (letter) to the counselor for verification. After the visit, the student will provide evidence of attendance (boarding passes, college tour agenda, and any other pertinent documentation) for administrator approval.
Tardiness to School
Offense Number (per semester) Outcome
1 st , 2nd, & 3rd – Warning
4 th & 5th – Detention
6 th & 7th – Removal of Independent Time
8 th & 9th – Parent Conference
10th & Above – Probation Status/Termination of Program
Tardiness to school can ONLY be excused by the parent or legal guardian of the student for the first (5) times during a grading period. After the fifth excused tardy, the school will only accept official documentation from a medical provider. A student that is excessively tardy to school may have his/her credit withheld from the classes that the student does not attend regularly.
Early Sign-Out (Excused Early)
If a student is signed out early from school, it is the responsibility of the student to provide documentation to the teachers of the classes that he/she did not attend. Appropriate documentation (i.e. doctor’s note, orthodontist appointment) should be shown to the teachers of the classes missed in order to receive make-up work. A student that excessively signs out early (10 or more) from school may have his/her credit withheld from the classes that the student does not attend regularly as the absences from the classes missed will be excused or unexcused in accordance with School Board Rule 5200.
Students 18 years of age will be allowed to signed themselves out only once per semester (twice per year). This will be documented in student’s emergency card.
Students who have a total of 10 or more absences; 20 or more days tardy; and/or 10 or more days signed out early will not be allowed to participate in extra-curricular activities. Any student referred to the Student Success Center is precluded from participating in school activities.