Attendance

ATTENDANCE  

The Mississippi Compulsory School Attendance Law (Miss.37-13-91) requires all children who have attained or will attain the age of six (6) years on or before September 1 of the calendar year and who have not attained the age of seventeen (17) on or before September 1st of the calendar year to be in regular attendance at school.  The law (SB 2286) also requires that the school administrators report immediately to the local school attendance officer any compulsory-school-age child who has not enrolled by August 15th of the current school year.  In addition, the Superintendent will report any child with three (3) absences to the School Attendance Officer for appropriate consultation between the officer and parents/guardian.  When the child has eight (8) un-excused absences, the law provides that charges of “Educational Child Neglect: may be brought against the parent/guardian.  Potential punishment for Education Child Neglect is a fine of up to $1,000.00 and/or one (1) year in jail.”    

The school district must require students to be in attendance at school on a regular basis to foster student academic growth.  Therefore, it is required that each student attend a minimum of 180 class days during the school year of course work.   Elementary, Middle School, and High School Students must be in attendance 66% of the instructional school day in order to be counted present for the day.  High School students must be in attendance 66% of the class time in order to be counted present for that class.  No student will be entitled to receive academic credit for any course in which absences exceed the allowable limit, including absences addressed through the After School Attendance Program (ASAP).  All attendance recovery is subject to the guidelines, limitations, and requirements outlined in the ASAP policy.  Students and parents should refer to the ASAP policy for full details regarding credit eligibility.

Parents/guardians and attendance officer will be notified after students have been absent for three (3) unexcused days in a semester.  In the event that a student exceeds the allowable number of absences, the student will not be allowed to participate in school sponsored activities.  Students should bring a note to the office on the day they return to school stating the reason for the absence and including a phone number so the absence can be verified.  

EXCUSED ABSENCES

A student may be excused for the following reasons:

1. Personal illness verified by medical note. Any day after the third (3rd) day, you MUST have a medical note.

2. Serious illness or death in the student’s immediate family.  Immediate family includes: parent/guardian, brother, sister, grandparent, spouse, child, uncle, and aunt.  

3. Deemed by school officials to be of sufficient educational value when compared to school work scheduled for that period or is of such urgent circumstances as to warrant and justify the absence.  Written permission must be requested by a parent or guardian in advance and granted by school officials.

 4. Students taking a regional, state, or national test during the school day must have approval of administration prior to missing in order for the absence to be excused.

5. Students may bring no more than 3 parental notes per semester to excuse absences.  This does not apply to tardies.  Parent notes must include a valid telephone number.

6. Students must present an excuse when they return.  If an excuse is not received on the day of return, the excuse will not be accepted.  NO EXCEPTIONS.

7. College days (See High School Policies)

UNEXCUSED ABSENCES

Any other reason not listed above will be considered an unexcused absence unless approved by the superintendent.