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Attendance

Attendance

ATTENDANCE BCBOE Policy 6.200:

Attending school regularly has a significant, positive impact on your child’s academic success—from kindergarten through high school. Even as he or she grows older and more independent, you play a key role in making sure your child gets to school safely and on time every day.

We realize some absences are unavoidable due to health problems or other circumstances. However, we also know that when students miss too much school—regardless of the reason—it can cause them to fall behind academically. Absences can add up quickly. Students are less likely to succeed academically if they miss 10% or more of instructional days over the course of the school year. (This means missing about two days of school per month or about 18 days per year).

On July 1, 2018, the State of Tennessee mandated each school district to implement The Three Tier Progressive Truancy Intervention Program. Your student will enter Tier I of this program after three (3) UNEXCUSED ABSENCES. Parents and students will be notified of the attendance expectations and the Truancy Plan in the Student Handbook. Tier II begins on the 5th UNEXCUSED ABSENCES after the initial attendance contract is signed. Included in Tier II is a meeting with the School Truancy Team, a referral to counseling or other community services, if needed, and regularly scheduled follow-up meetings to monitor your student’s attendance. Tier III shall be implemented if the truancy interventions under Tier II are unsuccessful. Tier III shall consist of interventions recommended through Family Court. Each case will be reviewed with the family and appropriate referrals for services will be made.

According to TCA 49-6-2007/TCA 49-6-3009, parents/legal guardians or the person having control over a student is subject to compulsory attendance, and they are legally responsible to monitor the student’s attendance and require the student to attend school. If your student is absent from school for an aggregate (total) of five (5) days during the school year without adequate excuse, then the student is subject to a juvenile court referral. Students are allowed three (3) parent notes each semester for an all-day absence to be an EXCUSED ABSENCE.

Excessive absences will affect his or her performance and grades, and if too excessive, may result in your child having to repeat a grade. It is also your legal obligation to see that your child is in school. Please insist that your child be here unless it is absolutely necessary for him/her to miss. The following procedures should be followed relative to absences:

1. If your child misses a school day, please call the office and send a note from the doctor or parent on the day that he/she returns, giving the reason for the child's absence. Work missed for excused absences can be made up. According to Bradley 

County Board of Education policy, absences may be excused for the following reasons:

  • Child’s personal illness/doctor appointment
  • Illness of immediate family member requiring temporary help from the child
  • Death in the family
  • Extreme weather conditions
  • Special religious holidays regularly observed by persons of their faith
  • Summons, subpoena, or court order
  • Circumstances, which in the judgment of the principal, create emergencies over which the student has no control.
  • Military Service of Parent / Guardian. School principals shall provide students with one-day excused absence prior to the deployment of and a one-day excused absence upon the return of a parent or custodian serving active military service. Principals shall also allow up to ten (10) excused cumulative absences per year for students to visit a parent or guardian during a deployment cycle. The student shall provide documentation to the school as proof of his/her parent’s/guardian’s deployment. Students shall be permitted to make up school work missed during these absences.

BRADLEY COUNTY SCHOOLS ATTENDANCE POLICY

Three (3) student absences (3 days) per semester may be excused by a parent note if they meet the criteria set forth above (Excused Absences). The principal or his/her designee will require a doctor’s note for absences above three (3) in number. Failure to comply will result in the absence(s) being termed “unexcused”. Truancy is defined as an unexcused absence for any portion of the school day without justifiable reason as determined by the administrator or designee.

The Tier Intervention guidelines specify that physician and parent notes must be turned into the school within the three (3) day period following any absence as outlined in school policy. According to Board policy, unauthorized absence from school is considered truancy and will be treated as such. Disciplinary action shall be taken in such cases. The attendance committee will pursue the available means to persuade or compel the student's return to regular attendance including a Campus Court hearing or an appearance in Family Court.

Students who arrive late (after 7:45) must come to the office to receive a tardy slip. An adult must come into the office to sign in the child. Sometimes students or parents run late. However, keep in mind that late students regularly miss much class time when totals are added up, and if excessive, tardiness may begin to affect grades. In addition to work missed, students who come in late disturb classes and create record-keeping problems for classroom teachers, office personnel, and cafeteria workers; all three areas must match attendance and lunch records.

1. A tardy is any time missed away from school. This includes check-ins and check-outs. Our office monitors excessive tardies and sends letters of concern to parents.

Please limit tardies to appointments and emergencies only.

2. Once a student arrives on campus, he or she will be permitted to leave only if an authorized parent or designated person (listed on the registration form) comes to the office to check him/her out. Please be understanding that we ask for identification. The safety of your child is our top priority. If you have custody and you do not want the other parent to pick up your child, we must have a copy of a court order on file that instructs us not to let the other parent have access to your child; otherwise, a parent--having custody or not--can pick up his/her child. If you need to pick up your child during the day, please park in a parking space, come into the office and sign out your child. Absolutely no one is allowed to go directly to the classrooms without clearance from the office.

3. All students who have perfect attendance will receive an award certificate at the end of the year. For perfect attendance, check-in time will be 11:29 a.m. and check-out time will be 11:01 a.m.

CHECK-IN and TARDINESS

It is extremely important for students to be in the building by 7:45 to begin the school day. Students who arrive after the 7:45 a.m. bell, for any reason, must be escorted by a parent or guardian to the front door and sign in before being admitted to class. Students who are tardy will receive a tardy slip. If tardiness becomes a problem, the student will be referred to the attendance supervisor for appropriate action. Please cooperate with us in being on time for school.

CHECK OUT

When it is necessary for a student to leave during school, a parent/guardian must come to the office, present photo identification and sign them out. The office will call students from the classroom to report to the office.