PRESENCE = POWER

Your best chance at success in school and in life starts with showing up on time and every day!  Each day in school offers you a chance to learn something new, connect with others, and access opportunities and services available on campus.

 

Why Attendance is Important:

• Building a Strong Foundation and Good Habits: Early learning is key! If you don’t show up for school regularly, you miss out on fundamental reading and math skills, and the chance to build a positive habit of good attendance.  When you improve your attendance, you improve your academic prospects and chances for graduating.
• Learning Builds: Each lesson builds on the last. Missing class means missing crucial building blocks. Poor attendance can influence reading skills and proficiency by the end of third grade.
• Attendance Impacts Everyone: Absences and tardiness can affect the whole classroom if the teacher has to slow down learning to help students catch up.
• Beyond the Books: School is more than just academics. It's where students develop friendships and resiliency skills.  School is also where students discover their passions and interests through experiences, activities, clubs, and sports.

Did You Know?

Missing just a few days of school each month adds up. Chronic absenteeism (10% or more of school days) has a significant impact on a student's future. Starting in kindergarten, missing 10% of school (or just 2 days every month) can make it harder to learn to read and cause children to fall behind in school.

When you’re at school it makes a difference.

 

COMPULSORY ATTENDANCE AND STATE STATUTES

Florida Compulsory School Law states all children who are either six years of age, or who will be six years old by February 1 of any school year, but who have not attained the age of 16 must attend school regularly during the entire school term. Students between 16 and 18 are also within compulsory attendance age unless a formal declaration of intent to terminate school enrollment has been completed and signed by the parent.

Florida Law also states that each parent or legal guardian of a child is responsible for the child’s regular school attendance. Failure to attend school in a regular and timely fashion hinders the education process and may result in failing grades. Each student enrolled in Marion County Public Schools is expected to attend school every day and be punctual. Schools are required to track excused and unexcused absence in order to prevent the development of a pattern of nonattendance.

A student who has 15 or more unexcused absences within 90 calendar days with or without the knowledge or consent of the student’s parent or guardian, and who is subject to compulsory school attendance is a habitual truant.

School Social Work Services works with students and families to improve attendance and reduce truancy through investigation, recommendations, and follow-up on attendance and/or truancy cases. Some of the various interventions include:

CHILD STUDY TEAM FOR NON-ATTENDANCE

The Child Study Team is made up of primarily school-based professionals designated by the principal, who have the skills and responsibility for problem solving and facilitating interventions for students exhibiting excessive absences. The team often includes individuals, such as the teacher, school counselor, school administrator, school social worker and/or assistant, school psychologist, school nurse, dropout prevention staff, and parent/guardian. The Child Study Team will implement interventions to best address the problem. Some typical interventions might include: attendance contracts, mentoring or peer tutoring, referrals to other agencies for family services, and frequent communication between the teacher and the family.

 

STUDENT RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Student Rights:

1. To be informed of School Board policies and individual school rules regarding absenteeism and tardiness.

2. To appeal a decision pertaining to an absence.

3. To make up class work within one (1) day for each day absent.

 Student Responsibilities:

1. To attend all classes daily and be on time.

2. To provide the school with an adequate written explanation or appropriate documentation indicating the reason for the absence within three (3) days of the absence.

3. To request makeup assignments from teachers upon the return to school and to complete this work within one (1) day for each day of absence except in the case of extenuating circumstances.

 

 

EXCUSED AND UNEXCUSED ABSENCES

Excused Absences:

Not all absences are excused. Merely providing a note is not enough to excuse an absence; the note should be dated and reflect the student’s name, dates of absence, specific reason for the absence, and parent/legal guardian’s full signature. Notes/documentation regarding absences should be provided to the school within three (3) days of the absence (preferably immediately upon student’s return to school).

The following reasons shall be considered an excused absence when appropriate documentation is submitted to the school within three (3) days of returning to school:

1. Illness of the student (if a student is continually sick and repeatedly absent from school, the student must be under the supervision of a physician in order to receive an excuse from attendance). A student who has been absent five (5) or more consecutive days due to illness must present a note from a licensed physician. The principal or designee may also require a doctor’s note after ten (10) excused absences (whether they be consecutive or sporadic) due to illness within a school year.

2. Major illness in the immediate family of the student

3. Medical appointment including approved behavioral, occupational, and speech therapies (physician note required)

4. Religious holiday

5. Death in the family, a maximum of (3) excused days per occurrence “For purposes of excused absences concerning family illness or death, there are no specific guidelines for the definition of “immediate” family. A copy of the obituary or prayer card from the funeral can be requested

6. Pregnancy related issues

7. Insurmountable conditions such as extreme weather conditions and communicable disease outbreaks

8. Head lice: temporary exclusion from school to prevent head lice, maximum (2) excused days per occurrence.

9. Approved school activity

10. Court appearance by student (summons or subpoena required)

11. Attendance at a center under the Department of Children and Families supervision

12. Significant community events with prior permission of the principal

13. Pre-arranged absence which has been approved principal/designee.

Administrative approval/denial of requested extended absences will be based on the student’s academic standing, the student’s attendance history, and/or the reason for request.

Unexcused Absences

Absences not included in the above list shall be unexcused. A student may be referred to School Social Work Services for intervention after they have five (5) absences either excused or unexcused. A student may be referred to the Child Study Team (CST) for non-attendance when they have (§ 1003.26, Fla. Stat.):

1. Five (5) unexcused absences within a calendar month (30 calendar days) or

2. Ten (10) unexcused absences within a ninety (90) calendar day period or

3. A pattern of non-attendance is established.

· If the Child Study Team finds that a pattern of non-attendance is developing, whether the absences are excused or unexcused, a meeting with the parent/legal guardian must be scheduled to identify potential remedies and assist in removing barriers.

· A student who has fifteen (15) or more unexcused absences within a ninety (90) calendar day period is considered a habitual truant and interventions leading to court action may occur (§ 1003.27, Fla. Stat.).

· It is the student’s responsibility to request homework/make up assignments from his/her teacher upon the return to school. Students will receive full credit for work that is appropriately completed and submitted within one (1) day for each day of absence.

· Schools are the first line of communication to parents/legal guardians re: attendance – phone calls, letters, etc. If attempts are unsuccessful or elicit no change in attendance, then referral to School Social Work Services should be made.

· If a student is absent five (5) consecutive school days and school staff is unsuccessful in making contact with a parent/legal guardian regarding the nature of the absences, then a referral should be made to the Attendance Specialist to explore the whereabouts of the student.

Loss of privileges due to unexcused absences

A student having excessive unexcused absences may:

·Be excluded from attendance reward incentives as defined at the school level.

· Lose the privilege of participating in extracurricular activities. These include but are not limited to dances, special events, activities, and athletics, until the end of the following grading quarter. Absences accumulated in the fourth quarter will result in loss of privileges during said grading quarter only and will not carry over to the following year.

· Lose the privilege to drive to campus until the end of the following grading quarter. Absences accumulated in the fourth quarter will result in loss of privileges during said grading quarter only and will not carry over to the following year.

The principal or designee may review extenuating circumstances resulting in a loss of privilege(s). The principal’s decision is final. Principal review is only intended to reinstate privileges that have been lost as described above. It is not intended to impose harsher discipline than what is outlined herein and in another district policy.

The principal or designee may review extenuating circumstances resulting in a loss of privilege(s). The principal’s decision is final. Principal review is only intended to reinstate privileges that have been lost as described above. It is not intended to impose harsher discipline than what is outlined herein and in another district policy.

 

TARDY TO SCHOOL AND EARLY CHECK-OUTS

Tardiness and early check-outs are disruptive to the learning environment and can have a negative impact on student achievement. A tardy or early sign-out will only be excused due to sickness or injury, late bus, death in the immediate family, medical, dental, or therapy appointments for student with a note from the physician/dentist, court date, religious observance, or school sponsored activities. Parents/legal guardians must provide a note for each tardy/early sign-out. Other reasons such as oversleeping, missing the school bus, etc. will be unexcused. A student is allowed three (3) unexcused tardies/early check-outs within a nine-week grading period. Thereafter, the school administration will address consequences 
for excessive tardiness and early sign-outs.

 

HABITUAL TRUANCY

A student is deemed habitually truant when the student has accumulated fifteen (15) unexcused absences within ninety (90) calendar days, with or without the knowledge or justifiable consent of the parent or legal guardian.  If the student and/or parent/legal guardian is still non-compliant with school attendance despite appropriate steps to remediate the student’s truant behavior, such as Child Study Team Meeting, Attendance Remediation Contract, Case Staffing Committee Meeting, and other interventions deemed appropriate, then a truancy petition may be filed.

 

STUDENT DRIVER'S LICENSES

Recognizing the importance of education and keeping the students in school, the 1997 legislature enacted      § 322.091, Fla. Stat., relating to the driver’s license for students, ages fifteen (15) to seventeen (17), as an incentive for students to stay in school and continue their education. For a student to retain or obtain his/her Florida Driver’s License, the student must comply with compulsory school attendance. Accumulating fifteen (15) unexcused absences in a period of ninety (90) calendar days or failure to remain enrolled in school will result in being classified as a habitual truant and the loss of said license, or the withholding of the necessary 
forms to obtain a license.

For more information: Driver License Reporting.pdf

 

LEARNFARE

Per FL legislature, families receiving temporary cash assistance from DCF could jeopardize their eligibility if a minor child (under the age of eighteen (18)) in the home is determined by the school to be either a habitual truant (fifteen (15) unexcused absences within ninety (90) calendar days) or a dropout (determined by withdrawal code). The parent/legal guardian is also required to have a conference with their student’s teacher or school administrator regarding school progress each semester.