Attendance

Attendance in school is essential to educational achievement and school success.  State law requires school attendance for all children between the ages of seven and sixteen.  Parents are responsible for students attending and remaining in school daily. Parents and students should familiarize themselves with the Franklin County Attendance Policy – Policy Code 4400.

Daily Attendance / Class Period Attendance 

Class Period Attendance is maintained on a daily basis in all classes.

A student must be present for 2/3 of the class period to be counted present. On a regular school day, each class is 90 minutes. Students must be in attendance for 60 minutes to be counted presented for the class.

Students that sign-out / sign-in must do so at the main office. 

Attendance Waivers

Students are required to be in attendance for a minimum of 80 days per semester for semester courses. Any student not meeting this requirement will be subject to review by the Attendance Committee near the end of each semester.  Students in this category will receive further information from the Principal’s Office after the completion of the review.  Students not in attendance for at least 80 days per semester are subject to failure in the class(es) per North Carolina Public School Law.

Absences – Returning to School

Upon returning to school after an absence, it is the student’s responsibility to bring a note, signed by the student’s parent or guardian or documentation from a medical practitioner, court officer, etc., explaining the reason for the absence.  This note must be submitted to the office within two school days of the date the student returns to school.  Failure to do so will result in the absence being recorded as unexcused.

Absences and Make-up Work

After an absence students should arrange with his or her teachers to make-up work that was missed while he/she was absent.  It is the student’s responsibility to contact the teacher before or after the class period to obtain the make-up work. Teachers are not obligated to interrupt instructional time for this purpose.  Make-up work should be consistent with the work that has been missed during the instructional period and cover the same content for grading purposes. 

• • All work assigned to the student for the period of the absence must be completed promptly.

    • Students have 2 days from the date of a 1 Day absence to complete a Formative Assessment (Homework/Classwork) if they did not have access/ability to complete the assignment during the absence period. 

    • Students complete any Summative Assessments/Tests/Quizzes the next day after a (1) Day absence. All Summative Assessments/Test/Quizzes must be completed face-to-face and cannot be completed online.

    • Students who have multiple absences in a row shall have (2) Days to complete make-up work for every (1) Day absent. Failure of a student to satisfy make-up requirements can be the basis for denying credit for a specific course.

Students placed under suspension by the principal will be responsible for work missed during such suspensions.  Students who are suspended for less than the remainder of the school year shall be required to make up exams and other required coursework while under suspension.

By Franklin County School Board Policy, all scheduled tests/exams may be made up for full credit for all absences.  

Tardy Policy   

Students should be seated or at their station and ready to begin work when the tardy bell rings. Tardiness to class infringes upon instructional time and is a disruption to the classroom process. 

Unexcused tardy policy (cumulative for all periods):

• All Tardies:  Students report to Tardy Monitor in designated area.  Tardy is documented and student reports to class.

• 1-10:  Administrative Conference. Student completes Tardy Contract to avoid additional consequences.

• 15 +: Office Referral to Administration. 1 Day OSS

Students are expected to arrive on time and remain in school for the entire school day.  Tardiness and early dismissals cause students to miss important information and are strongly discouraged.  The school administrators will deal appropriately with those students who are chronically tardy or who leave early.  When tardiness becomes excessive, the student, his or her parents or guardians shall be notified by the principal or designee in writing of the student’s tardiness.  If the tardiness continues after parent notification, appropriate disciplinary action will be taken. Tardiness and early dismissals may be excused for the same reasons listed above for absences.

Sign-in/Sign-out Procedures

• Students who arrive to school after the 8:15 bell should report directly to the main office to receive an admit slip.  

• Students leaving school early must sign-out in the main office prior to leaving campus.  Failure to properly sign-out will result in disciplinary consequences.

• A student returning to school on the same day as an early departure must sign-in at the main office prior to returning to class.

• Students arriving late to school that fail to follow proper sign-in procedures are subject to disciplinary action.

• Students that fail to follow proper sign-out procedures will be considered "Skipping" and are subject to disciplinary action including zeros on any missed assignments. 

Hall Passes/Out of Area

• Students must have a Hall Pass at all times during the school day unless they are with a teacher/staff member.

• Students that are Tardy to class must receive a pass from a Tardy Monitor to report to class. (See Tardy Policy)

• Students may not be in Academic Areas during lunches without a Hall Pass (See Lunch Policy)

• Students may not go to the parking lot areas or leave the building at any time of the day without permission from a staff member and a pass. 

• Students may not leave campus at any time without appropriately checking out through the main office.

• Students leaving campus during lunch will be subject to disciplinary action, including loss of parking privilege. 

• Students that do not report to class will be considered "Skipping" and are subject to disciplinary action including zeros on any missed assignments. 

Early Release/Late Arrival

Seniors who are taking less than four classes per semester need to complete an approval form for early release/late arrival.  The form must be signed by the legal parent/guardian. Final approval can only be granted by the Principal. Students who receive permission to arrive late or to have early release do not need to sign-in or sign-out, unless their arrival or departure time deviates from their regular schedule, or unless circumstances cause the principal to require sign in/out.  Students with late arrival or early release must provide their own transportation. Athletes should carefully examine eligibility standards prior to seeking early release/late arrival. 

Students who have been granted permission to arrive late to school should not arrive on campus until it is time for their class.  Consistently arriving earlier than the scheduled class-start time may result in the revocation of this privilege and/or disciplinary action.

Students with early release are expected to leave campus within 5 minutes of dismissal from their last class.  Students may not remain on campus unless permission is specifically granted by the office, and then for school-related purposes only (example-research in the media center). In these cases, students should leave immediately upon completion of their task. Failing to promptly leave or returning to campus without permission may result in revocation of this privilege and/or disciplinary action. Students with early release are not allowed to return to campus after leaving even after school dismissal, unless permission is granted from the office. The exception is to participate in extracurricular activities in which case the student should report directly to the location of the activity.

Attendance – Policy Code 4400 

The Board believes that regular school attendance is critical for educational achievement and develops patterns of behavior essential to professional and personal success in life.  The Board is committed to enforcing all State Laws and regulations that relate to compulsory attendance. Furthermore, the Board is committed to attendance regulations that are nondiscriminatory, encourage regular attendance, and discourage dropouts. 

Compulsory Attendance Law

In accordance with North Carolina General Statute 115C-378, every parent, guardian, or custodian having charge or control of a child between the ages of seven (7) and sixteen (16) years shall cause such child to attend school continuously for a period equal to the time which the school to which the child is assigned shall be in session.  Every parent, guardian, or custodian having charge or control of a child under the age of seven (7) who is enrolled in a public school in grades kindergarten through two shall also cause such child to attend school continuously for a period equal to the time school is in session unless the child has withdrawn from school.

The principal or designee shall notify the parent, guardian, or custodian by mail of the child’s excessive absences after he/she has accumulated three unexcused absences in a school year.  After not more than six unexcused absences, the principal/designee shall notify the parent, guardian, or custodian by mail that they may be in violation of the Compulsory Attendance Law and may be prosecuted if the absences cannot be justified under the established attendance policies of the State and Board.

Once the parents are notified, the school attendance counselor shall work with the child and his/her family to analyze the causes of the absences and determine steps to eliminate the problem.

After ten (10) accumulated absences in a school year, the principal shall review the report of the school social worker or school attendance counselor and shall confer with the student, his/her parent, guardian or custodian if possible to determine whether the parent, guardian, or custodian has received proper notification and has made a good faith effort to comply with the law.  If the principal determines that the parent, guardian, or custodian has not, the principal shall notify the district attorney and parent in writing of the Compulsory Attendance Law violation. If the principal determines that the parent, guardian, or custodian has made a good faith effort to comply with the law, the principal may file a complaint with the juvenile intake counselor that the child is habitually absent from school without a valid excuse.  Evidence showing that the parent, guardian, or custodian were notified and that the child has accumulated ten (10) absences which cannot be justified under the established attendance policies of the Board shall establish a prima facie case that the child’s parent, guardian, or custodian is responsible for the absences.

Attendance Records

School officials will keep an accurate record of attendance, including accurate attendance records in each class.  It shall be the responsibility of each teacher to record the daily attendance of each student assigned to him or her and to inform the students of the value and importance of regular school attendance.  Attendance records will be used to enforce the Compulsory Attendance Law of North Carolina.

Attendance Defined

To be considered in attendance, a student must be present in the school for at least one-half of the school day or at a place other than the school with the approval of the appropriate school official to attend an authorized school activity.  Such activities may include, but are not limited to: field trips sponsored by the school; athletic contests requiring early dismissal from school; student conventions; musical festivals; or similar activities. Students who are assigned to in-school suspension are considered present.  For any/all absences from class due to school sponsored activities or assignment to in-school suspension, students are required to make up all assignments in accordance with the make-up work section of this policy. Students will not be required to make-up time as they will be counted present.

Homebound/Hospital Bound

When a parent anticipates a student’s extended absence because of severe, prolonged, or chronic illness under a physician’s care, the parent shall notify the principal.  The principal or designee may make arrangements for homebound/hospital-bound or other appropriate instruction. Once school personnel have made contact (a face-to-face meeting) with the student to provide instruction, the student is counted present.  The student should continue to be counted present for the span of time during which regular hospital/homebound instructional services are delivered. This arrangement shall be made only on the advice of the attending physician and supporting documentation should be maintained at the school.  Parents should address all questions regarding this type of instruction to the school principal or designee.

Absences

The school district will have a written procedure for notifying parents regarding student absences in addition to Compulsory Attendance Law requirements.  The system’s procedure will be included in the individual school’s student handbook. The Board and the State of North Carolina recognizes ten situations in which a student may be excused for temporary nonattendance in school.  The superintendent, principal, or teacher who is in charge of a school has the right to excuse a student temporarily from attendance on account of sickness or other unavoidable cause. (Below are the valid/lawful excuses for temporary nonattendance of a student at school.) 

1. Illness or Injury: When the absence results from illness or injury which prevents the student from being physically able to attend school. 

2. Quarantine: When isolation of the student is ordered by the local health officer or by the State Board of Health. 

3. Death in the Immediate Family: When the absence results from the death of a member of the immediate family of the student. For the purpose of this regulation, the immediate family of a student includes, but is not necessarily limited to, grandparents, parents, brothers, and sisters. 

4. Medical or Dental Appointments: When the absence results from a medical or dental appointment of a student.

5. Court or Administrative Proceedings: When the absence results from the attendance of a student at the proceedings of a court or an administrative tribunal if the student is a party to the action or under subpoena as a witness. The Local Board of Education can be considered an administrative tribunal. 

6. Religious Observance: School principals are required to authorize a minimum of two excused absences each academic year for religious observances required by faith of a student or a student’s parents. The student shall be given the opportunity to make up any tests or other work missed due to this excused absence. (S.L. 2010-112) 

7. Educational Opportunity: When it is demonstrated that the purpose of the absence is to take advantage of a valid education opportunity, such as travel. Approval for such an absence must be granted by the principal at least two weeks prior to the absence. This would include, but is not limited to, a student serving as a legislative page or a governor’s page. 

8. Local School Board Policy: LEAs may excuse temporary or occasional absences for other reasons in accordance with local school board policies, provided that the student has been in attendance for at least one-half of a school day during the current school year. 

9. Absence related to deployment activities: - A student whose parent or legal guardian is an active duty member of the uniformed services and has been called to duty for, is on leave from, or immediately returned from deployment to a combat zone or combat support posting for the purpose of visiting said parent or legal guardian. ( G.S. 115C-407.5Article V (E) ) 

10. Child Care: Absences due to the illness or medical appointment during school hours of a child of whom the student is the custodial parent are to be coded excused (lawful). (G.S.115C-375.5) 

Personal contact and/or written notification from the parent, guardian or custodian of the student should be submitted within three (3) days upon the student’s return to school for the absence to be excused.  An administrator may require a physician’s validation of illness for a student who misses an excessive number of days because of illness.

Any student, parent, guardian or custodian of a student may appeal non-promotion or denial of credit for reasons listed above.  Such appeal shall be in accordance with Board policy 1740, Section E beginning with “Investigation” and continuing through the end of Section E of Board policy 1740.

Unexcused Absences

The absence of a student who misses school without permission from a parent/guardian/custodian for one of the ten reasons listed under excused absences shall be unexcused.  The absence of a student who misses school without the knowledge/consent of the parent/guardian/custodian and/or permission from the principal/designee shall be unexcused and the student shall be considered truant and shall be subject to disciplinary action. 

Course Credit – High School (9-12)

In order to obtain credit in a given course, a student must be in attendance for a minimum of 80 days out of a possible 90 days for semester courses and 160 out of a possible 180 days for yearlong courses. Transfer students may miss no more than 12% of the remaining semester. A student must be in attendance at least one-half of a class period to be counted present for that class.

A student who does not receive credit for a course may be eligible for course recovery through the Apex Computer Lab with written approval of the principal, for each course in order to receive credit.  If the student does not attend and satisfactorily complete course recovery for each failed course, no credit will be given and a failing grade will be recorded as the final grade for the course.

Any student who attends fewer than 80 days in a semester course will not receive credit for the course; however, the student may appeal to the principal/designee to be allowed to obtain credit for the course.  Such appeal must be supported by proper documentation for extended illness or other compelling reasons.

Policy Alternatives 

Should there arise unique situations not specifically addressed by this policy, the Superintendent, upon written recommendation from the principal, may authorize alternatives to the policy to achieve fairness to the student without compromising the effectiveness of this policy.