Attendance Services

OBJECTIVE

To maintain first-rate attendance and raise the academic performance of each student.

MISSION STATEMENT

The Attendance Services Staff works closely with students, parents, school personnel, and the community to address barriers that affect student attendance in school.

ATTENDANCE SERVICES INTERVENTION TEAM

Ken Arnold, Director – 355-2064

Drew Perry, Dropout Prevention Specialist

355-2065

Tracie Mills, Secretary – 355-2080

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SC Compulsory School Attendance Law

“All parents or guardians shall cause their children or wards who are in the age group of five to sixteen years, inclusive, to regularly attend a public or private school or kindergarten of this State which has been approved by the State Board of Education or a member school of the South Carolina Independent Schools’ Association or some similar organization, or a parochial, denominational, or church-related school, or other programs which have been approved by the State Board of Education; provided, further, that any parent or guardian which child or ward is not six years of age on or before the first day of September of a particular school year may elect for their child or ward not to attend kindergarten. For this purpose, the parent or guardian must sign a written document making such election with the governing body of the school district wherein the parent or the guardian resides. The form of this written document shall be prescribed by regulation of the Department of Education. Upon such a written election being executed, that child or ward may not be required to attend kindergarten.”

Lawful Absences

A. Absences caused by a student's illness and whose attendance in school would endanger his or her health or the health of others. These absences must be verified by a physician statement within two (2) days of the student's return to school.

B. Absences due to an illness or death in the student's immediate family verified by a statement from the parent within two (2) days of the student's return to school.

C. Absences due to a recognized religious holiday of the student's faith when approved in advance. Such requests must be made to the principal in writing.

D. Absences for students whose parent/guardian is an active duty member of the uniformed services and has been called to duty, is on leave, or immediately returned from deployment to a combat zone, shall be excused as long as such absences are reasonable in duration as deemed by the principal so that the student can visit with his or her parent or legal guardian relative to such leave or deployment of the parent or legal guardian.

E. Absences due to activities that are approved in advance by the principal. This would include absences for extreme hardships. Such approval should be prearranged when possible.

Unlawful Absences

A. Absences of a student without the knowledge of his or her parents.

B. Absences of a student without acceptable cause with the knowledge of his or her parents.

C. Suspension is not to be counted as an unlawful absence for truancy purposes.

Truancy Regulation

Truant

A child ages 6 to 17 years meets the definition of a truant when the child has three (3) consecutive unlawful absences or a total of five (5) unlawful absences.

Habitual Truant

A “habitual truant” is a child age 12 to 17 years who fails to comply with the intervention plan developed by the school, the child, and the parent(s) or guardian(s) and who accumulates two or more additional unlawful absences. This child may need court intervention and an initial truancy petition may be filed.

Chronic Truant

A “chronic truant” is a child ages 12 to 17 years who has been through the school intervention process, has reached the level of a “habitual truant”, has been referred to Family Court and placed on an order to attend school, and continues to accumulate unlawful absences. Should other community alternatives and referrals fail to remedy the attendance problem, the “chronic truant” may be referred to the Family Court for violation of a previous court order.

What If My Child Refuses To Go To School?

Call the attendance clerk at your child’s school and report the problem. If your child continues to miss school unlawfully, someone from your child’s school will schedule an intervention conference with you and your child. At that time, a plan will be devised to improve your child's attendance. If your child continues to miss school unlawfully, the case may be referred to Family Court for further intervention.