TCS SCHOOL ATTENDANCE PROTOCOL
Policy Code: 4400 Attendance
School attendance and class participation are integral parts of academic achievement and the teaching-learning process. Through regular attendance, students develop patterns of behavior essential to professional and personal success in life. Regular attendance by every student is mandatory. The State of North Carolina requires that every child in the State between the ages of 7 (or younger if enrolled) and 16 attend school.
Parents and legal guardians are responsible for ensuring that students attend and remain at school daily. School administrators shall communicate attendance expectations to parents and guardians and work with students and their families to overcome barriers to attendance.
The principal must assure adherence to attendance policies and regulations and notify parents of their responsibility under the Compulsory Attendance Law (G.S. 115C-378). Teachers must monitor and report student absences on a daily and class period basis and follow all rules and regulations concerning attendance.
The Ten Day Rule states that when a student accumulates more than ten consecutive days of unlawful absences, he or she is to be withdrawn from funded membership as of the first day following his or her last attendance. The absence of a student which results from the suspension or expulsion of that student for misconduct may not be used for compulsory attendance violation action. Absence caused by out of school suspensions are not a factor in the administration of the Ten Day Rule.
A. Attendance Records
School officials shall keep accurate records of attendance, including accurate attendance records in each class.
Attendance records will be used to enforce the Compulsory Attendance Law of North Carolina.
Each student shall be assigned to a teacher, generally the homeroom teacher, for the purpose of recording daily attendance. It shall be the responsibility of this 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.
The teacher shall inform the students that they are required to bring written excuses signed by a parent, legal guardian or custodian, stating the cause of their absences on the first day back in school after an absence. Students who are eighteen (18) years of age may not sign their own written excuses for their non-attendance unless they are emancipated, living independent of a parent, legal guardian or custodian, and such is reflected in the school records for such students.
If the teacher does not receive a written excuse or learn that the cause of the absence was a valid condition for an excused absence in accordance with Section II.A., the teacher shall record the absence as unexcused.
A Principal may require a student (if eighteen (18) years of age or older), the student's parent(s) or legal guardian(s) to provide a statement from the student's physician verifying the student's illness.
A child shall be recorded present for any day that he is present at a place other than the school with the approval of the Principal for the purpose of attending a school activity which has been officially authorized under the policies of the board of education of the school administrative unit. This may include field trips, athletic contests, music festivals, student conventions, and similar activities.
B. Attendance Communication
Attendance concerns will be communicated in the following ways:
3, 6, and 10 day State Letters
When a student has missed 3, 6, or 10 days (unlawful) the state required notification will be sent. School officials and/or designees in charge of attendance will check these reports and generate and distribute this documentation each day for students reaching the 3, 6, and 10 day absence (unlawful) milestones.
School Level Communication
Schools will take an active part in maintaining communication concerning absences.
C. Lawful Absences
The following are lawful (excused) absences permitted by the North Carolina State Board of Education attendance rules:
personal illness or injury that makes the student physically unable to attend school;
isolation ordered by the local health officer or the State Board of Health or isolation or quarantine that is a required state or local control measure;
death in the immediate family;
medical or dental appointment;
attendance at court or administrative proceedings;
Religious holiday (approved religious observances; the principal must authorize a minimum of two such absences for a student per academic year);
participation in a valid educational opportunity;
pregnancy and related conditions or parenting, when medically necessary;
visitation with the student’s parent or legal guardian if the student is not identified as at risk of academic failure because of unexcused absences and the student’s parent or legal guardian (a) is an active duty or inactive member of the uniformed services as defined by policy 4050, Children of Military Families, and (b) has been called to duty for, is on leave from, or has immediately returned from deployment to a combat zone or combat support posting (the principal must authorize a minimum of two such absences for a student per academic year); or
any other reason as approved by the board in a board resolution.
D. Unlawful Absences
The principal shall notify parents and take all other steps required by G.S. 115C-378 for excessive, unexcused absences.
Unlawful (unexcused) absences are defined as the student’s willful absences from school without the knowledge of the parents or guardians, or the student’s absences from school without justifiable causes with the knowledge of parents or guardians. All absences not classified above as lawful (excused) are deemed unlawful (unexcused). An absence also will be deemed unlawful unless the student’s parent, guardian or custodian provides written documentation of the reason(s) for the absence to the principal or designee upon the student’s return to school.
E. Homebound Placements
Homebound placements are based on medical or exceptional circumstances, and students are credited as in attendance when pre-approved by the appropriate official in the Thomasville City Schools.
F. Makeup Work
Whether absences are lawful, unlawful, including absences under G.S. 130A-440 (for failure to submit a school health assessment form within 30 days of entering school) or due to suspension, the student will be permitted to make up his or her work. Students are responsible for all work missed when absent from school. Immediately upon returning to school, students must make arrangements with their teacher(s) to make up all work (assignments, tests, projects, etc.) missed while absent. Work must be made up during the grading period in which it was assigned.
G. Absence Documentation Requirement
All absences require a written note from the parent or guardian explaining the absence(s). The student should deliver the note to school authorities (teacher, attendance office official, etc.) as soon as possible upon his or her return to school.
Parents and guardians are requested to contact school officials as soon as possible when unanticipated absences occur. All anticipated periods of absence should be reported to school officials prior to the period of absence. Such absences should receive prior approval by school officials. Prior approval is required for any student departing from campus once he or she has arrived; this approval is required throughout the school day. Students must follow a sign-in / sign-out procedure as established by the school.
H. Tardies/Early Sign-Outs
Students are expected to be at school on time and to remain at school until dismissed. During the school day, students are expected to be present at the scheduled starting time for each class and to remain until the class ends.
When a student must be late to school or leave school early, a written excuse signed by a parent or guardian should be presented upon the student’s arrival at school.
I. Definition of Being “In Attendance”
To be considered “in attendance,” a student must be present in the school for at least one-half of the school day. For high school students, this also includes being in attendance for two-thirds of the class period (that would be 60 minutes of a 90-minute block) to be counted “in attendance” for that class period.
K-5 or (b) for all other grade levels, each course teacher as scheduled. School officials shall communicate the attendance procedures to students and their families before the first day remote instruction begins.
Students may, with the approval of the school principal or designees, attend an authorized school activity and be considered “in attendance.” Such activities include, but may not be limited to, job shadowing and other work based learning activities, field trips, athletic contests or other competitions, student conventions, music festivals, concerts or similar activities approved by the school.
J. Unlawful Absence Disciplinary Actions
Unlawful absence and/or truancy may lead to disciplinary action to include court proceedings involving parents and/or students if the student is under 16 years of age. G.S. 115C-378 requires attendance until age 16.
K. Attendance Requirements and Excessive Absences
The goal of Thomasville City Schools is to have at least 95% attendance. Schools seek to have partnerships with parents to improve attendance and ask that parents commit to this goal.
A student with excessive unexcused absences:
1. may not receive a passing grade for the semester if the student does not have a passing grade based on content and also has significant absences based on TCS board policy. In this case, the student can receive an FF
2. will receive the grade otherwise earned if it is a passing grade no matter the absences; or
3. may be given additional time to complete the missed work before a determination of the appropriate grade is made.
At any level, promotion decisions affecting a child in the Exceptional Children’s program will include recommendations of the IEP team.
L. Referral to District Attorney
Once a determination has been made that notification to the parent or guardian is in order, the principal must determine whether the parent or guardian has made a good faith effort to comply with the compulsory attendance law.
If the principal determines that a good faith effort has been made to ensure that the student attends school, prosecution does not proceed. Continued interventions to improve attendance may include directing the school social worker to consult with the Davidson County Truancy Court Coordinator for consideration of a juvenile complaint against the student as an undisciplined youth for his or her role in the unexcused absences.
If the principal determines that the parent or guardian has not made a good faith effort, the social worker shall send a notification letter to the District Attorney. Copies of previous letters and the Attendance Profile shall be included in the D.A. letter and the copy to the parent. The School Social Work Office will forward a copy of the D.A. letter to the Department of Social Services. This action will automatically be recorded in Infinite Campus within the Attendance Log section.
The school social worker may schedule a mediation conference with the parent/guardian/student, pursue legal action, and/or offer additional interventions.
M. Request for Physician's Statement
At any point in the year that a student's excused absences are for an illness or injury, the principal may require a statement from the student's physician in order to excuse future absences. This action will automatically be recorded in Infinite Campus.
All copies of attendance notification must be filed in a centralized master file and letters must be noted in Infinite Campus under the Attendance Log. All documentation regarding absences (notes from parents, notes from physicians, correspondence returned as undeliverable and other documentation by school personnel) must be kept in a centralized master file.
N. Special Circumstances
1. Students with Chronic Health Problems
No penalties will be imposed for absences due to documented chronic health problems.
2. Students Experiencing Homelessness
For students experiencing homelessness (see board policy 4125, Homeless Students), school officials must consider issues related to the student’s homelessness, such as a change of caregivers or nighttime residence, before taking disciplinary action or imposing other barriers to school attendance based on excessive absences or tardies.
3. Attendance Requirements for Extracurricular Activities
Absences may impact eligibility for participation in extracurricular activities. Principals shall inform students and parents of the applicable attendance standards for the various types of extracurricular activities, including interscholastic athletics. See also policy 3620, Extracurricular Activities and Student Organizations.