ATTENDANCE/DISCIPLINE and STUDENT PRIVILEGES
Shelby County Public Schools has adopted a goal of 96% attendance for the district and its individual schools. SCHS believes that good school attendance and behavior helps develop habits of responsibility, self-discipline, and work ethic that will be carried beyond high school. Unexcused absences, tardies, excessive excused absences, and discipline referrals are known to have a negative effect on academic achievement. Therefore, SCHS is promoting improved attendance and proper behavior at school through the following policy approved by the SCHS SBDM in 2007.
Each school year, a student will lose privileges to participate in extra-curricular or co-curricular events sponsored by SCHS if his/her attendance or behavior results in any of the following:
An accumulation of 7.00 or more unexcused absence days, through whole or partial day absences.
10 or more unexcused tardies to/from school. A tardy is marked when a student signs-in or signs-out of school for less than 60 minutes.
20 or more excused absences. Excused absences include up to 7 parent notes.
Out -of -school suspension, recommendation for expulsion, and/or legal violation for a major disciplinary offense.
-Examples include, but are not limited to: possession of a weapon, possession of drugs and/or alcohol, or participation in an assault against a student or staff member. The principal determines major disciplinary offenses.
Behavior referrals that result in 5 or more assignments to ISAAP and or suspension.
Loss of privileges until the end of the school year includes, but is not limited to the following:
· Participation in the SCHS graduation ceremony – for seniors only
· Participation as an athlete or cheerleader in sporting events
· Participation in school plays
· Participation on the Dance Team
· Club Activities after school
· Senior events including Senior Dinner and Senior Awards Night
· School dances including the Holiday Dance and Prom
· Attendance at home and away sporting events
· Field Trips
· CATS incentive card
· Co-curricular activities that meet after school
· Parking privileges
Loss of extra-curricular, co-curricular, and CATS incentive privileges may be appealed to the Student Privileges Committee. Student Privileges Committee members will be appointed by the school principal. The committee will hear individual appeals and render decisions regarding privileges.
Attendance Policy and Procedures:
It will be every student’s responsibility to bring a medical or parent note to the attendance office after each absence. In order for an absence/tardy to be excused – a note must be received within 5 days. NO NOTES WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER FIVE (5) DAYS. The attendance office will verify the note and report to the staff the status of the absence, excused or unexcused.
Students must be in attendance at least half the day to participate in or attend any school function (examples: prom, senior dinner, athletics, plays, concerts…). Students must be in attendance on the last day of the week to participate in any weekend event.
After a combination of seven (7) non-medical absences/tardies (excused or unexcused), a student must provide a medical note or have a principal’s approval in order to make up work.
Reasons for excused absences:
Student illness
Death or serious illness in the student’s immediate family
Medical appointments (require doctor’s note) ½ day only unless the doctor specifies a full day.
Driver’s test for permit/license (1/2 day only)
Required court appearance – note from the court is required.
Pre-arranged school activities
Special cases approved by the principal including college visits and pre-arranged trips - Parents must submit a letter to the principal ONE week prior to the prearranged visit.
Parents should make medical/physical therapy appointments after school hours whenever possible. Students must have a medical note in order to be excused after they have missed their seven (7) non-medical days. A medical note is a note from a doctor, dentist, health department, or other medical professional. Only ½ day will be given if not specified by the attending physical.
ABSENCE/TARDY POLICY
All absences/tardies are handled through the Attendance Office.
Tardy from School – At any time during the school day a student misses less than 60 minutes at one time, it is considered a tardy to/from school. This tardy could occur at the beginning, middle or end of the school day.
Absent to School – (A) Absent all day = full day absence
(B) Absent partial day – (more than 60 minutes) – these absences will be calculated by number of minutes missed to equal a percentage. These partial absences accumulate over the school year to equal full day absences. Ex: missing 75 minutes equals a 20% absence.
Tardy to Class – Students presently at school but tardy to class are “hall swept” to a central location or directly to the classroom, and are documented as tardy to class. Excessive tardies to class may become a disciplinary issue.
Truancy is defined as being absent/tardy for three (3) days of school unexcused. A student who is absent/tardy six (6) unexcused days will be considered a habitual truant and may be reported to the appropriate legal authorities.
There is a possibility of court action for non-compliance with the state’s truancy law KRS. 610.010.
Sign-in/Sign-out procedures: Students who are late to school must sign in at the attendance office and get a note to enter class. Students who need to check out of school early must provide a note to the attendance office before school starts. Absolutely NO phone-in permissions will be accepted unless approved by a principal. Faxed notes that can be verified will be accepted. Students will only be allowed to leave with someone listed on his/her emergency card unless a parent gives written permission and the note can be verified. Students who are ill and need to check out of school must report to the office to notify parents of the illness. Parents will sign out their child at the attendance office. Signing in and out of school will cause an absence in the block in which the student signs in or out.
Driver’s Permit/License
Students must present verification of enrollment to apply for a driver’s permit/license. Students requesting this form must be attending school regularly and must be making academic progress as defined by the state law. This form can be requested from the guidance office before 10:00 am to be ready for pick-up at the end of the work day. The school is required to report any student who has 9 unexcused absences (or dropped out of school) or who is academically deficient to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. The Cabinet will revoke any student’s permit/license under those circumstances.
CRITERIA FOR APPROVED MAKE-UP WORK:
Pre-Approved Absences
When a student knows about upcoming absences, he or she must bring a parent note to the front office describing the dates and reason for the absence at least 3 days before the date of the absence to apply for principal permission. The student, after permission is granted, will have each of his or her teachers sign the note and make the necessary arrangements to complete make-up work for missed assignments. The signed note will then be returned to the front office.
THE STUDENT SHALL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR CONTACTING HIS/HER TEACHER ABOUT ALL WORK THAT MUST BE MAD
All make-up work, including tests, shall be done according to the make-up work schedule.
Time Allotted for Make-up Work (Four excused absences)
1 day absence = 2 days for make-up, 2 or 3 days absent = 3 days for make-up, 4 days absent = 4 days for make-up, over 5 days absent =make-up determined by a principal. This policy applies to each period of the day, as well as the whole day.