Excused Absence:
1. Any state approved reason (as listed below)
• Personal illness, requiring attention from a health care professional (i.e. doctor, dentist, psychiatrist, etc.)
• Serious illness or death in a student’s immediate family
• A court order or an order of a government agency mandating absence
• Religious holiday
• Conditions rendering attendance impossible or hazardous to student health or safety
• Registering to vote or voting in a public election
• Visitation with a parent or legal guardian 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
• All students serving as pages of the Georgia General Assembly
• All students in foster care who attend court proceedings relating to the student’s foster care will be counted present
2. All students traveling on a school-sponsored trip
Parent Excused Absences: Each student is allowed 5 parent excused absences per year. These absences are to be supported by a note from the parent/guardian, and must be received within 2 days of the student’s return to school in order to be accepted.
Unexcused Absence: All absences, other than those listed under the Excused Absence section, will be considered “unexcused."
Consequences of Unexcused Absences:
1. After five absences, the school will notify the parent(s)/guardian(s). The notice will outline the penalties and consequences of such absences and state that each subsequent absence will constitute a separate offense under the Georgia Compulsory Law.
2. A written summary of possible consequences and penalties for failure to comply with the Georgia Compulsory Law will be provided to parent(s)/guardian(s) by September 1 of each school year or within 30 days after a student has enrolled in the school district. The parent(s)/guardian(s) will sign a statement indicating receipt of such written statement of possible consequences and penalties. Students who are 10 years or older by September 1 will sign a statement indicating receipt of a written statement of possible consequences for noncompliance with the school district’s attendance policy.
3. The lead social worker will be notified for intervention should excessive absences continue.
4. When a student, who is beyond the compulsory attendance age, misses more than 10 consecutive days of school, the School Attendance Committee may withdraw that student and report them as non-compliant if he/she is under the age of 18. If 18 years or older, students who miss more than 10 days per semester may be withdrawn from school or placed at the Oconee County Community School. (Note: the compulsory attendance age in Georgia is 6-16.)
5. If a student was granted a transfer to another school, he/she may be placed back at his/her school of origin as recommended by the Principal and Superintendent, or the Superintendent’s designee.
6. Any situation resulting in excessive absences may be referred to the Oconee County Attendance Risk Reduction Panel.
Tardy:
A student is marked tardy if he/she arrives after the start of the school day (or the start of class for high school students). Tardies are excused for the same reasons as excused absences with proper documentation. High school tardies are counted per period. Punctuality is expected. Excessive tardies may be referred to the school social worker and/or an administrator for appropriate discipline, which may include anything from detention to in-school suspension (ISS) and/or out-of-school suspension (OSS).
Consequences of Excessive Tardies and/or Early Checkouts:
1. School interventions may include phone calls and letters to parents, and/or referral to the school Social Worker.
2. High school interventions may include the above, as well as after school detention, Saturday school, and/or loss of parking privileges.
3. If a student was granted a transfer to another school, he/she may be placed back at his/her school of origin as recommended by the Principal and Superintendent, or the Superintendent’s designee.
4. Any situation resulting in excessive tardies and/or early checkouts may be referred to the Oconee County Attendance Risk Reduction Panel.