Student Attendance Policy

In responding to student attendance issues, the Haralson County School System shall comply with all requirements of state law, State Board of Education rule, and the Student Attendance Protocol that has been developed by the county's Student Attendance Protocol Committee. 

Excused Absences

It is the policy of the Board to excuse students from school for the following reasons:

1. Personal illness or attendance in school that endangers a student's health or the health of others.
    
2. A serious illness or death in a student's immediate family necessitating absence from school.
    
3. A court order or an order by a governmental agency, including pre-induction physical examinations for service in the armed forces, mandating absence from school.
   
   
4. The observance of religious holidays, necessitating absence from school.
   
   
5. Conditions rendering attendance impossible or hazardous to student health or safety.
   
   
6. The Board authorizes high school administrators to allow for eligible students a period not to exceed one day for registering to vote or voting in a public election.

7. A student whose parent is in military service in the armed forces of the United States or the National Guard and such parent has been called to duty for or is on leave from overseas deployment to a combat zone or combat support posting shall be granted excused absences up to a maximum of five school days per school year to visit with his or her parent prior to such parents deployment or during such parents leave. 

Students shall be counted present when they are present for at least one-half of the instructional day or serving as pages of the Georgia General Assembly.

Upon returning to school, students shall present a written excuse from the parent/guardian or physician to the principal or his/her designee. The principal or his/her designee shall maintain these excuses in a file for that purpose. The principal or his/her designee shall issue that student a form stating the student's name, the date(s) of absence, and whether the absence is excused or unexcused. The student shall present this form to each of his/her teachers during the day. If no written excuse is provided, then the student absence will be considered unexcused.

Parents/Guardians may write an excuse for up to three (3) absences, (tardies and early check outs included) per semester. A physician's statement will be required in order to excuse any absence due to illness after a student has accumulated three absences in a given semester. A statement from the student's pastor or leader of his/her religious organization will be required to excuse absences due to religious holidays after a student has accumulated three absences in a given semester. After a student accumulates three (3) absences, students must provide clear documentation for absences due to government mandate, court order, or voter registration in order for these absences to be excused. Students must also provide clear documentation from the Georgia General Assembly or member thereof in order to be considered present for the day(s) he/she served as a Page. Students shall be permitted to make up work when absences are excused. The principal of each school is authorized to allow students to make up work for unexcused absences if the absences are due to extenuating circumstances.

Tardies and Checkouts

Tardy is defined as: Any time the student enters classroom after instruction begins.

Checkout is defined as: Any time the student leaves the classroom before instruction ends.

Excused Tardy must meet same conditions as excused absent.

There will be no checkouts of students during the school day except for medical appointments or an emergency. Upon returning to school the child must bring an excuse. If no excuse is returned after three (3) days, the child will have an unexcused checkout. For any student to have perfect attendance, he/she must not have any unexcused early check out or tardies.

A letter from the Superintendent concerning absences will be sent home with each student twice a year regarding policies and procedures.

Procedures for Parental Notification

1. After 3 total absences, the school will make contact with the parent/guardian. A Truancy Family contact form will be completed by the classroom teacher will communicate with the school counselor and administration.
   
   
2. On the seventh unexcused absence, the school system social worker will also be notified by the counselor's office with a copy of the Truancy Family Contact form.
   
   
3. A written referral to the school system social worker who will then refer the student to the Truancy Treatment Team. The Truancy Treatment Team will develop an attendance contract with the student and/or the student's parent or guardian. The contract will stipulate expectations for the student's attendance for the remainder of the school year. Should the contract be broken and truancy continues, the school system social worker will seek relief on behalf of the Haralson County School System from the Juvenile Court or the State Court whichever is appropriate.

The principal may in certain circumstances require students to present appropriate medical or other documentation upon return to school for the purpose of validating that absences are excused.

Grades and Absences

Final course grades of students shall not be penalized because of absences if the following conditions are met:

1. Absences are justified and validated for excusable reasons.
   
   
2. Make up work for excused absences was completed satisfactorily.

Uniform Withdrawal Criteria

For the purpose of accurately measuring the academic performance of students continuously enrolled in public schools, the Board adopts the following uniform criteria for withdrawing students.

1. Appropriate school personnel are authorized to withdraw a student who:

1. Has missed more than 10 consecutive days of unexcused absences;

2. Is not subject to compulsory school attendance; and

3. Is not receiving instructional services through homebound instruction or instructional services required by the federal Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). 

4. The Superintendent or the superintendent's designee shall use his or her best efforts to notify the parent, guardian, or other person who has charge of a student if the school system plans to withdraw such student who is younger than 18 years of age and is not subject to compulsory school attendance.

2. Appropriate school personnel are authorized to withdraw a student subject to compulsory attendance if the superintendent or superintendent's designee has determined the student is no longer a resident of the local school system or is enrolled in a private school or home study program.
   
   
3. Appropriate school personnel shall withdraw students retroactive to the first day of the consecutive absences.

 Policies and Procedures to Reduce Unexcused Absences:  Notification

1. The school system requires its schools to provide to the parent, guardian, or other person having control or charge of each student enrolled in school a written summary of possible consequences and penalties for failing to comply with compulsory attendance.  By September 1 of each school year or within 30 school days of a student's enrollment in the school system, the parent, guardian, or other person having control or charge of such student will be asked to sign a statement indicating receipt of such written statement of possible consequences and penalties.  In addition, students age ten or older by September 1 must sign a statement indicating receipt of written statement of possible consequences for non-compliance to the local board policy; and

2. The school system will notify the parent, guardian or other person or other person who has control or charge of the student when such student has three unexcused absences.  The notice will outline the penalty and consequences of such absences and that each subsequent absence will constitute a separate offense.  After two reasonable attempts to notify the parent, guardian or other person who has charge of the student, the school system will send written notice via certified mail with return receipt requested.

3. The School System will use its best efforts including first class mail to notify a student age 14 and older when the student has only three absences remaining before violating the state's attendance requirements pursuant to O.C.G.A. 40-5-2 regarding the denial of driver's permits and licenses.

4. Students shall be notified through the student codes of conduct of the definition of truancy and a summary of possible consequences and penalties for truancy, including possible dispositions for unruly children in accordance with O.C.G.A. 15-11-67 and the possible denial of or suspension of a driver's license.