Attendance

Attendance Requirements: Each parent and legal guardian of a child within the compulsory attendance age is responsible for the child’s school attendance as required by law [Florida Statute §1003.21]. All students are expected to attend school regularly and to be on time for classes in order to benefit from the instructional program and to develop habits of punctuality, self-discipline, and responsibility.

Excused Absences: Parents must report the absence the day before, the day of, or within two school days following the absence the absence will be considered unexcused.

• Tardy students must be signed-in at the Main Office.

**Parent/Guardian notification of an absence does not in-and-itself require the school administration to record the absence as excused**

Parents/Guardians who sign out their student out before the end of the school for medical/dental appointment will be marked unexcused. When the attendance office receives a medical/dental note, the absence will be changed to excused.

Tardy Policies: Excessive tardies may result in revocation of choice hardship.

Excused Tardies: Illness; After two days a medical note is must be submitted in order for the illness to be excused; medical/dental appts – with submitted medical/dental notes; automobile accident; death or funeral; emergency situations acceptable to the principal; required court appearance; established religion observance; severe weather; and breakdown of school bus.

Unexcused Tardies: car problems (e.g., flat tire, no gas, car won’t start, etc.); heavy traffic; overslept; returned for forgotten items; and non-educational appts.

Unexcused Absences: Absences not defined in the excused absence section.• Absences not documented within two school days.

• Examples include but are not limited to: shopping trips; family vacations/trips; activities that should be conducted outside of the school day (e.g., hair/nail appts, sleeping, doing homework, DMV business, dance lessons); non-school events/programs/sporting activities; and activities more related to parental responsibilities (e.g., babysitting or providing transportation). • Any unexcused absence will result in a grade penalty for work missed.

Special Guidelines:

•Students leaving early must check out through the Main Office.

•Students have 2 days for each day missed to make up class work upon return to school from an absence.

•After 3 consecutive absences, the teacher determines the due date for make-up work

•Students are responsible for meeting due dates set prior to an absence (e.g., tests, projects, etc).

•High School: more than 6 missed class periods requires a passing grade on the semester exam to receive course credit towards graduation.

•Students will be referred to the Child Study Team after 5 unexcused absences within a calendar month or 10 unexcused absences within 90 calendar days.•More than six absences per semester are considered excessive .•Habitual Truant is defined by law as a student who has 15 unexcused absences within 90 calendar days.•Truancy Petitions can be filed with the Circuit Court pursuant to §1003.26

•Truant minor students will either have their learner’s/driver’s license suspended or will not be able to receive a learner’s license. §322.091• Illness or Injury of Student• Religious Instruction/Holidays of the Student’s Own Faith (3 days notification required)• Doctor/Dentist Appointment• Attendance at Student’s IEP Meeting• Court/Legal Appearances• Death in the Immediate Family (no more than 7 days)• Placement at the FL Keys Children’s Shelter• With Written Permission of the Principal• Special Event Approved by the Principal• Communicable Disease/Infestation