Attendance

(See also FCBOE DISTRICT POLICY: JBD)

Please click on this link https://www.fultonschools.org/attendancematters to read the FCS mandatory protocols for 2021-2022 attendance policies, for which all parents/students are responsible for understanding.

Some important reminders for Alpharetta High School students and parents:

• To expedite check-outs, students should turn in check-out notes in the morning or parents can email johnsona24@fultonschools.org.   Students should come to get a pass from the Attendance window to show their teachers then they can go straight to their rides after signing out with the Attendance office.  No one will need to come in to school to sign them out.
• Students have 3 days after they return from an absence to turn in an excuse note to the Attendance window, or parents can email the excuse note to johnsona24@fultonschools.org.  Parents/guardians do not need to call the school.
• Student IDs will be checked when students check-in or out of school.
• All parents’/guardians’ IDs will be checked at the Attendance office before checking out a student.
• If a student is sick during school hours, they must be checked out through the clinic.
• Students must check-in/out at the Attendance Office when leaving or entering the school after the school day starts. 
• Any absence known ahead of time that is not medical in nature (college visits, travel, etc.) must have a Pre-approval absence form signed and turned into the Attendance office 5 days before the absence.  Forms are in the Attendance office.
• The Attendance office closes for parent/guardian check-outs at 3:15 sharp.
• The day before school holidays, parents must come to the Attendance office to check out their children. Please make sure you send a note in the morning with your child to give to the Attendance office, so he/she will be ready to meet you at the Attendance office when you come in to sign them out.
• Please review all the attendance policies here and at the link above.

Regular attendance positively impacts student achievement. Studies have proven that frequent absences are a predictor of academic failure. Every AHS student must strive to attend school each day and arrive to class on time ready to learn. Since every day is important, “skip days” are not recognized, condoned or excused by the AHS administration. Infinite Campus (IC) is an effective resource for following a student’s attendance record. For information regarding access to HAC, contact Donna Byrd at ByrdD@fultonschools.org.

The attendance window opens at 7:45 a.m. Students must conduct business at the attendance window during non-instructional time. Students will not be issued excused late passes because they were at the attendance office.

Students may not typically leave campus without signing out through the Attendance window. In special circumstances, a parent must check out his/ her student through the Attendance window.

Parents/Guardians may be asked to submit doctor, dentist, court, or funeral documentation, etc., after a student has had seven (7) absences of any kind. By law, students with excessive absence rates will be referred to the school social worker, the grade level assistant principal, the student support team, and the State of Georgia.

Attendance Procedures Regarding Absences

Students absent from school must present upon return, a note with a parent/guardian signature or an email from the parent/guardian email address that is on file explaining the nature of the absence. This should be done at the Attendance Office or an email to Alina Johnson at johnsona24@fultonschools.org before school begins on the day of the student’s return.

Absences for which a student fails to submit an excuse note or email from the parent/guardian email address that is on file including reason, parent/guardian signature, and a daytime phone number will be considered as truant until a note is presented. Students have up to five days to submit a note to receive an excused absence; parental notes or emails from the email on file are also required for unexcused absences.

It is not necessary for the student to submit a note from a parent/guardian for absences that occur due to school-sponsored activities or pre-approved absences for which a parent/guardian has already submitted written permission.

To be considered in attendance for a school day, a student must be present for one-half of the school day. If not, the student may not participate in school-sponsored activities that day.

Suspended students may not participate in school-sponsored activities while under suspension. Students suspended Friday and Monday may not participate in or be present at weekend events.

Excused Absences

Students are allowed to make up all work missed due to an absence. For all absences, a written note signed by the parent/guardian or an email from the email address of the parent/guardian in IC of explanation is required within three (3) days of the student’s return to school. The written note should be turned in to the Attendance Office or emailed to Alina Johnson at johnsona24@fultonschools.org. It is the responsibility of the student and/or parent/guardian to present a satisfactory written excuse to the principal or designee(s) within three (3) days of the an absence in order for the absence(s) to be recorded as excused. The excuse must state the reason for the absence and be signed by the student's parent or guardian. Excuses will be kept on file at the school at least until the beginning of the next school year. Students who have missed seven (7) days of school or more in a school year will be required to provide additional written verification such as doctors' statements. After five days, notes cannot be accepted. Failure to comply will result in absences being marked as “unexcused”.

Excused Absences – A hold harmless absence that has been documented, and relates to one of the following circumstances in accordance with State Board of Education Rule 160-5-1.10 and Georgia State Code, O.C.G.A. 20-2-690.1:

• Personal illness or when attendance in school would be detrimental to the health of the student or others
• A serious illness in the student’s immediate family necessitating absence from school[1]
• A death in the student’s family necessitating absence from school
• Observance of religious holidays necessitating absence from school
• Compliance with a court order or an order issued by a governmental agency mandating an absence from school

Excused Absences needing a pre-approval form: (see also the Pre-Approved Absences section below)

• Visitation with an immediate family member who is on leave from or is being deployed to military service
• Important family events/celebrations for an immediate family member (graduation, wedding, religious ceremony, etc.)
• Compliance with an order for a pre-induction physical examination for service in the armed forces
• An absence for registering to vote or participating as an active voter in a local, state, or federal election
• A verified interview for college admission or a documented college visit
• A specialized, supplemental, or extracurricular program/event
• Other absences pre-approved by the principal[2]

Unexcused Absence – Any absence not accompanied with a note or documentation or any absence that does not relate to the circumstances listed above is considered unexcused.  The following non-exhaustive list includes examples of unexcused absences[3]:

• Bad weather
• Missing the school bus
• Car trouble
• Shopping
• Babysitting
• Oversleeping

Students can substitute up to 5 absences per semester (max of 10 per year) with a remote learning day. This would result in the student being counted as present for the day(s) they participate remotely. Using the email address that is in Infinite Campus, the parent/guardian must email all their teachers and Alina Johnson (johnsona24@fultonschools.org) prior to the remote learning day occurring. The student is responsible for completing the assignments deemed by the teacher.

Pre-Approved Absences

NOTE: A pre-approved absence is not necessarily an excused absence. 

All pre-approved absences require a parent/guardian signed note or email from the parent/guardian email on file in order to receive an official pre-approved form. The student must pick up the physical copy of the pre-approved absence form from the attendance office. All instructions on the form must be followed. The completed form should be returned to the Attendance Window at least five (5) days prior to the absence. Pre-approved absences cannot be granted after the date of the absence. Assignments should be turned in upon the student’s return.

Late Arrivals/Early Check-out

To be considered in attendance for a school day, a student must be present for at least one-half of the school day, excluding the lunch period. Students leaving school before meeting this requirement will be considered absent for a school day. A parent or guardian may be required to provide appropriate documentation for early checkout at the time the student is released from school or late arrival at the time the student arrives at school. A student is tardy when he/she arrives to school after the beginning of the official school day or is not in the assigned class at the official beginning of the class period. A student tardy may be classified as excused or unexcused based on the circumstances defined in this policy.

Ten (10) late arrivals or early check-outs result in a referral to the student support team.

SPECIAL NOTE: On all days immediately preceding a school holiday, a parent/guardian must come in person to the attendance window to check out any student.

It should be noted that OCGA § 20-2-690.1 states that any parent, guardian, or other person residing in this state who has control or charge of a child or children that accrues five full-day unexcused absences during one school year will be deemed to have violated this Code section and shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to fines, imprisonment, community services, or any combination of these penalties. 

Requesting Assignments for Extended Absences

If it is expected that a student will be absent three or more days (including OSS), parents should contact the teachers directly via email. Teacher emails are available on the Staff page of the AHS Website. Any material that cannot be forwarded electronically from the teacher to the parent should be ready for pick-up from the front office at the end of the following day.

Excessive Absences

Students who accumulate excessive absences are subject to withdrawal or may be required to submit doctor, dentist, court, or funeral documentation, etc., after the student has had seven (7) absences of any kind. By law, students with excessive absence rates will be referred to the school social worker, the grade level assistant principal, the Student Support Team (SST), and the State of Georgia.

Hall Passes

Students who are out of class for any reason must be in possession of a hall pass. Students are not to be present at any location other than for which the pass was issued.

Tardiness to School or Class

Students are expected to be in class and ready to work before the bell sounds for class to begin. Students arriving tardy less than 10 minutes to school or any class period are to report immediately to class. If the student has a note or is more than ten minutes late to any class period, they should report to the attendance office for a pass that must be presented to the teacher in order to gain admittance to class. In accordance with our school’s parking policy, accumulated tardies that result in ISS may also result in student parking privileges being suspended. Excessive tardies to school will result in a referral to the student’s assistant principal and school social worker.

Class Cuts / Skipping A class cut occurs when a student is absent from class without having permission from the teacher or authorization from the administration. Students who become ill or need to see a counselor or administrator during class should report to class first, obtain permission from the teacher to be excused, and have a written pass. Students who become ill and are not able to report to class must report directly to the clinic. The discipline for leaving campus without permission is two (2) days of Extended Day Detention (EDD).

Truancy

Any child subject to compulsory attendance who during the school calendar year has more than five (5) days of unexcused absences is considered truant. Students are considered truant if they are absent from school without parental knowledge. Truancy is considered a major attendance violation. Classroom work missed due to truancy may be made up, but the grade earned may be reduced. Additional referrals will be made to counselors and the social worker.

For further information regarding mandatory withdrawal, notifications, and protocols, please visit https://go.boarddocs.com/ga/fcss/Board.nsf/goto?open&id=9EHLDB554789#

Please click on this link https://www.fultonschools.org/attendancematters to read the FCS mandatory protocols for 2021-2022 attendance policies, for which all parents/students are responsible for understanding.