The state of Georgia has in place a mandatory attendance law. The Douglas County School System has created an attendance policy that falls in line with that law. It is imperative that students attend school daily in order to be successful and, in some cases, qualify for services to which they are entitled.

If you have any questions about attendance, please contact your Administrator or your School Social Worker. 

Attendance Resources and Information

DOUGLAS COUNTY ATTENDANCE POLICY

In order to receive maximum benefit from the instructional activities, students are expected to be in school each day unless excused for legitimate reasons.  Good attendance habits positively impact the learning process and carry over into the world of work.  While teachers and administrators are charged with the responsibility of providing worthwhile daily activities for students, the student and their parents must assume responsibility for being punctual and regular in attendance.  It is the position of the Douglas County Board of Education that every day at school is important and that no student ever be absent except for extraordinary reasons. To emphasize the importance of good attendance, and to provide consistency throughout the school system, the following guidelines will be used.                                                                                 

ATTENDANCE RULES

1. Absences will be classified as excused or unexcused. 

Excused absences are those due to emergencies such as:

1. Personal illness or attendance in school endangers a student’s health or the health of others.
    

2. A serious illness or death in a student’s immediate family necessitating absence from school.
    

3. A court order or an order by a governmental agency, including preinduction physical examinations for service in the armed forces, mandating absence from school.
    

4. Observing religious holidays, necessitating absence from school.
    

5. Conditions rendering attendance impossible or hazardous to student health or safety.
    

6. A student whose parent or legal guardian is in military service in the armed forces of the United States or the National Guard, and such parent or legal guardian has been called to duty for or is on leave from overseas deployment to a combat zone or combat support posting, shall be granted excused absences, up to a maximum of five school days per school year, for the day or days missed from school to visit with his or her parent or legal guardian prior to such parents or legal guardians deployment or during such parents or legal guardian leave.
    

7. Any other reason approved by the Georgia State Board of Education. Students shall be counted present when they are serving as pages of Georgia General Assembly. Unexcused absences are all failures to attend school other than those specifically excused by the administration.

2. Absences and tardies will be recorded in each class.  Absences and tardies from school will be recorded on the student permanent record.  A student must be present at school for at least one-half of the required instructional time to be counted present for the day.
    

3. A high school student must be enrolled in each course a minimum of 130 clock hours per semester (including days transferred from other schools) to receive Carnegie unit credit for the course.  A student must be present every day except those determined to be excused absences.  A clock hour is defined as 60 minutes of instructional time.
    

4. If a student is absent from school, the student must bring a note with the signature of a parent, doctor, dentist, judge, etc. stating the date and reason for absence.  This written excuse must be presented to the appropriate teacher(s) within three (3) school days of the student’s return to school from the absence.  This is the responsibility of the student.  The principal will resolve any question in determining whether an absence is excused or unexcused.

All work missed due to an excused absence must be made up by the student within a reasonable time, or receive zeros in work missed.  It is the student’s responsibility to make arrangements with the teacher for make-up work.

In order to participate in an extracurricular or after school activity, a student must be in attendance on the school day of the activity.

Unexcused absences will result in no credit for work missed.

A student who misses one-half or more of a class period (unexcused) will be counted absent for that class.

For each absence beyond ten (10), students must bring an excuse from a doctor, dentist, health center, court, etc. for the absence(s) to be excused.

5. Individual teachers (in grading policies) or schools will provide incentives for good attendance.
    

6. Any parent, guardian, or other person having control or charge of any child or children between the ages of six and sixteen shall send such child or children to school. On the sixth unexcused absence a violation of this code (O.C.G.A. 20-2-690.1) will result in said person being guilty of a misdemeanor. Upon conviction thereof, shall be subject to a fine of not less than $25.00 nor greater than $100.00, imprisonment not to exceed 30 days, community service, or any combination of such penalties.

Two reasonable attempts to notify the parent/guardian will be made by the school on the fifth unexcused absence. If no response is achieved the school shall send a notice by certified mail, return receipt requested. Each days absence from school after notification on the fifth unexcused absence shall constitute a separate offense.

7. Student parking at Douglas County School System high schools is a privilege provided for high school students who purchase a parking decal.  High school administrators may suspend a student’s parking privilege for the remainder of the semester for leaving campus without authorization, for truancy, or for having six unexcused tardies to school.  The suspension of parking privileges will extend for at least forty-five (45) days.  If a semester has less than forty-five (45) days remaining when the suspension occurs, the balance will be served at the beginning of the next semester or school year.  There will be no refund for the cost of the parking permit.  At the conclusion of the suspension of parking privileges, the student may reapply and purchase a parking decal if parking space is available.