WALKER COUNTY and LHS ATTENDANCE PROTOCOL
School attendance is compulsory in Georgia between the ages of six (6) and sixteen (16).
DEFINITIONS
Excused (lawful) Absence : Any absence permitted by the policies and regulations of the local Board of Education in accordance with State laws and State Department of Education policies and regulations. Students may be temporarily excused from school when:
- Personally ill or when attendance in school would endanger their health or the health of others.
- A serious illness or death in their immediate family necessitates absence from school (immediate family of student is defined as parents, guardian(s), grandparents, siblings and other adults living in the home). Any absence greater than three days requires the approval of the principal or designee.
- Mandated by order of governmental agencies, including pre-induction physical examinations for service in the armed forces or by court order.
- Celebrating religious holidays observed by the student’s faith.
- Conditions rendering attendance impossible or hazardous to their health and safety.
- Registering to vote or voting for a period not to exceed one day.
- Students who are at least twelve (12) years of age will be counted as present when serving as page of the Georgia General Assembly.
- 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 parent’s deployment or during such parent’s leave.
*Parent notes will be allowed for excusing a student’s absence for no more than three days per nine weeks.
Unexcused (unlawful) Absence : Unlawful absences are absences from school for reasons other than those considered excusable under Georgia Law or School Board Policy. While school days missed as a result of an out of school suspension are considered unexcused for attendance record keeping, they shall not count as unexcused days for the purpose of determining student truancy.
Students who have unexcused absences will not be allowed to make up missed work for credit.
GRADES AND ABSENCES
Students who have an A average and no more than 3 absences; who have a B average and no more than 2 absences; who have a C and no more than 1 absence can be exempt from final exams. EXCEPTION-NO STUDENT CAN BE EXEMPT FROM AN EOCT.
A student with more than six (6) absences unexcused in a class during a semestermay not receive credit for that class unless a waiver is granted. A written appeal must be made to the principal or his designee. Specific instructions for submitting written appeals will be given to students each semester.
If students or parents wish to contest the result of the appeal, they may do so by making a formal request in writing to Mr. Roger Hibbs, LHS Principal, within 5 school days.
A student who loses credit due to excessive absences will maintain the academic grade, but lose the Carnegie unit credit.
For students with lawful absences, the number of days allowed to make up work will be equal to the number of days absent plus one (1).
Absences shall not penalize student grades if the following conditions are met:
- Absences are lawful
- Make-up work for lawful absences is completed satisfactorily within the allowable time period.
Students not in good standing in a class and/or have excessive absences may be denied from participating in extracurricular activities.
Students will be counted absent from the class or classes if they miss more than forty-five (45) minutes of the class.
TRUANCY
Walker County Schools may utilize several strategies to improve student attendance. These include teacher/administrative phone calls to the home, required administrative conferences, loss of credit, student probation, referral to school social worker, referral to Walker County Truancy Treatment Team, the Department of Family and Children’s Services, Magistrate and/or Superior Court of Walker County or Walker County Department of Juvenile Justice, or possible suspension. In accordance with Georgia law, additional consequences for students may include possible dispositions for unruly children, in accordance with O.C.G.A. 15-11-67, including the possible denial or suspension of a driver’s license for a child.
SCHOOL NOTIFICATION
Before admission to class upon returning to school following an absence, a student should report to the attendance office with a written note from a parent, guardian, physician or legal authority stating the reason for the absence. These notes should be dated and give the date of the absence, state the reason for the absence and have the parent’s/guardian’s signature. Excuses not received within three (3) days of the student’s return to school will not be accepted and the absence will be counted as an unlawful absence.
The principal or his designee, at their discretion, may require a physician’s statement for absences due to illness if the student was being treated by a physician, or in cases where seven (7) absences have been reached. The principal or designee will also determine whether an absence is lawful in accordance with policies and regulations of Walker County Schools, which are based on Georgia compulsory attendance law.
PARENT NOTIFICATION
In accordance with Georgia law, Walker County Schools will attempt to notify the parent, guardian or other person who has control or charge of the student when such student has five unexcused absences. The notice will outline the penalties and consequences of such absences and that each subsequent absence will constitute a separate offense.
WITHDRAWALS
Walker County Schools are authorized to withdraw a student who: (1) has missed 10 or more consecutive days of unexcused absences, (2) is not subject to compulsory school attendance and (3) is not receiving instructional services from the Walker County Schools through homebound instruction or instructional services required by the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Walker County Schools shall use its best efforts, including, but not limited to, phone call or first class mail, to notify the parent/guardian, or other person who has charge of the student if the school system plans to withdraw the student who is younger than 18 years of age and is not subject to compulsory school attendance.
The school system is authorized to withdraw a student subject to compulsory attendance if the superintendent or designee determines that the student is no longer a resident of the school system or is enrolled in a private school or home study program.
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