Absences & Tardies

Absences:

• Principals shall promptly approve or disapprove any student's absence in excess of 5 days per semester, whether those 5 absences are lawful, unlawful, or a combination of the two. Absences in excess of 5 days per semester will not be excused without medical documentation. (Please reference: GSC Board Policy).

• Parents have the legal responsibility of sending their children to school.

• You must be present 3 hours (180 minutes) of a school day to be counted present for the day. 

• Attendance is taken daily in each class.  The student must attend at least half of a class, each day, to receive credit for attendance. Example:  45 minutes in a 90 minute block class.

• You must be present 3 hours (180 minutes) of a school day to be counted present for the day. 

•  All absences beginning with the first shall be approved or disapproved by the board's designee, the building principal. In making this decision, the principal shall be guided by the procedures as presented herein. Decisions regarding approval of absences and eligibility for credit may be appealed in accordance with district policy. 

• In accordance with the South Carolina Compulsory School Attendance Law, the School District of Greenville County has adopted uniform rules to ensure that students attend school regularly. Each day that students are not in school, they miss hours of valuable instruction and opportunities for learning that they will not have again. 

• All children are required to attend a public or private school or kindergarten beginning at age five (5) and continuing until their 17th birthday. If a child is not six years of age on or before the first day of September in a particular school year, parents/guardians may choose not to send their children to kindergarten; however, they must sign a waiver which may be obtained at the local school.

• Students are counted present only when they are actually in school, on homebound instruction, or are present at an activity authorized by the school principal.  A student is considered in attendance when present for at least three (3) hours of a school day.

• Any student who misses school must present a written excuse, signed by his or her parent or legal guardian or a health care professional, for all absences within three (3) days of the student’s return to school.  You may submit an absence note HERE.  The written excuse should include the reason for and the date of the absence.  If a student fails to bring a valid written excuse to school, his or her absence will be recorded as unlawful.  Text messages are not an acceptable form of documentation for student absences.  Please note that teachers are not required to allow students to complete makeup work when the absence was a result of a cutting activity or the student has an unexcused absence.

• If a student brings a false or forged excuse, he or she will be referred to the school administration for appropriate action.  Schools use the criteria below when deciding whether an absence is lawful or unlawful:

• • Lawful Absences

    • 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 three (3) days of the student's return to school.

    • Absences due to an illness or death in the student's immediate family verified by a statement from the parent within three (3) days of the student's return to school.

    • 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.

    • Absences for students whose parents/guardians are experiencing a military deployment. Specifically absences when the parent or legal guardian of a student 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, 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. 

    • 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

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

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

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

Religious Holidays/Bereavement:

• Any absence requests for religious holidays and bereavement must be approved by the principal.

• Absences for religious holidays require a letter from the place of worship on a letterhead signed by the worship leader.

• Absences due to a death in the immediate family or a classmate require a bulletin from the funeral or a copy of the obituary.  

College Visits:

• Juniors and seniors are allowed up to 3 college visits each school year. Visits must be to  different institutions. In order for a college day to count as a field trip, you must bring written proof of your visit to the institution on the college’s letterhead the day you return to school or submit the written proof online HERE. 

Seat Time Recovery:

• The school year consists of 180 school days. To receive credit for the course, high school students must attend:

  • At least 3 days of a 45-day course

  • At least 85 days of each 90-day semester course

  • At least 170 days of each 180-day course

  • Meet all minimum requirements for each course

• In order to receive high school credit after the 5th unlawful absence in a semester course, “seat time recovery” is required for every subsequent absence that is unlawful.  (Note: 3 days for a 45 day course).  A student may have up to 5 unlawful absences, including parent notes, in a 90-day course.   However, absences in excess of 5 in a 90 day course will not be considered excused unless accompanied by official medical documentation or is otherwise approved by the principal as a lawful absence.  A student must attend the majority of a class session during a school day to receive credit for that class.

• Students who owe seat time in a class will be notified by administration via email. Parents will also get an automated phone call through Backpack from administration. 

• How to sign up for seat time:

  • Students/parents sign the Seat Time Recovery Contract. Copies of the contract are located in the Attendance Office. 

  • Students return the signed contract to Mrs. Beam, the Attendance Clerk. 

  • Please note: Students will accrue additional seat time hours with subsequent unexcused absences throughout the semester.  Teachers are not required to allow students to complete makeup work when the absence was a result of a cutting activity or the student has an unexcused absence.

  • Students who owe seat time and do not recover the hours will earn an FA, or Failure due to Attendance, on their report card and not receive credit for the class towards graduation.  Students who earn an FA for a high school course are not eligible for Credit Recovery or summer school for that course. 

Tardies:

• Students must be in the room and in their assigned seat when the bell rings. 

• Tardies reset at the beginning of each semester.

• Students who miss more than half of the class period will be counted as absent for the class period instead of tardy. 

• Students have five minutes between classes.  

• Consequences for unexcused tardies:

• Tardy 1-3 (Warning)

• Tardy 4-5 (Lunch detention)

• Tardy 6-7 (ISS)

• Tardy 8+ (OSS)