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RATIONALE/OBJECTIVE:
The parents/guardians, or other persons having charge of any child(ren)
between their sixth and sixteenth birthdays are required by law to enroll
and send such child(ren) to a public or private school or utilize a home
study program.
All children enrolled for 20 school days or more in the public schools of
this state prior to their sixth birthday shall become subject to all of the
provisions of O.C.G.A. 20-2-690 through 20-2-702 and the rules and
regulations of the State Board of Education relating to compulsory
attendance even though they have not attained six years of age.
RULE:
The Cobb County School District (District) requires that principals,
teachers, and other designated personnel make and keep proper attendance
records and administer disciplinary measures necessary to maintain regular
student attendance. It shall be the duty of principals of all schools to
make available to the school social workers the names, ages, and residences
of all pupils in attendance at their schools and classes in accordance with
state rules and standards after the beginning of each grading period. All
schools shall keep daily records of such attendance, verified by the teacher
making such record. Such reports shall be open to inspection by the school
social worker or duly authorized representative at any time during the
school day.
The following
procedures shall be observed in regard to attendance of students:
A. Absences and
Excuses:
1. Excused absences are defined by law and
in the State Board of Education Rules . As
applied in the
District, students may be temporarily excused from school:
a. When personally ill and when attendance in school would endanger
their health or
the health of others.
b. When in their immediate family there is a serious illness or
death which would
reasonably necessitate absence from school.
c. On special and recognized religious holidays observed by their
faith.
d. When mandated by order of governmental agencies (examples:
pre-induction
physical examination for service in the armed forces or a court
order).
e. Children may be excused from school attendance when prevented
from such
attendance due to conditions rendering school attendance
impossible or hazardous
to their health or safety.
f. Children who are at least 12 years of age and who are serving as
pages of the
Georgia General Assembly shall be credited as present by the
school in which they
are enrolled for days missed from school for this purpose.
g. A student may be granted an excused absence not to exceed one day
in order to
register to vote or to vote in a public election.
h. A student
whose parent/guardian is in military service in the armed forces of the
United
States or the National Guard, and such parent/guardian has been called to
duty for
or is on leave from overseas deployment to a combat zone or combat
support
posting, shall be granted excused absences, up to a maximum of five (5)
school
days per school year, for the day or days missed from school to visit with
his/her
parent/guardian prior to such parent/guardian’s deployment or during such
parent/guardian’s leave.
2. A letter written by a parent/guardian and/or licensed physician
explaining the reasons
for absences must be presented to school authorities by all students
on the date of
return to school or no later than the following school day after a
period of absence
from school. Failure to submit a note within three schools days after
a student’s
return from an absence will result in the absence being marked as
unexcused. If a
student has been absent from school 10 or more days during the school
year, school
administration and/or school social worker may require a doctor’s
statement verifying
illness. Under certain circumstances, the record for previous year's
absences may be
reviewed with a doctor's note requested before 10 days expire.
3. Students who become ill or injured while at school shall be dismissed
from school only
after parents/guardians have been notified. Exceptions to this policy
shall be made
only in cases of emergency.
4. A student shall be dismissed before the school day officially ends
when a parent or
guardian sends a written request or speaks by telephone with the
principal or
principal's designee, explaining the reason for early dismissal to
the principal or
appears in
person requesting the student's dismissal.
5. Individual students who have emergencies necessitating their absence
from school for
a portion of the school day must have been present for one-half of
the instructional
day in order to be included in the average daily attendance count.
6. Students shall not leave the school grounds during school hours
without permission
from the principal or principal's designee.
7. Principals or principal's designees may require verification of right
of
custody/identification of anyone requesting early dismissal of a
student.
B. Excessive
Absences
The following provisions apply to absences during a school year. The
parental contacts are the minimum required. The District and/or local school
administrators may require and/or initiate additional contacts with
parents/guardians if deemed necessary to address the attendance issues of
their respective school communities. Likewise, local school administrators
may make a referral to the School Social Worker at any time it is deemed
appropriate.
1. After Five
Absences:
a.
Excused Absences: The teacher will contact the parent or guardian by
telephone
or parental conference regarding attendance when possible. If
contact is
unsuccessful, then a letter or postcard will be sent.
b. Unexcused Absences: After two reasonable attempts to
notify the parent,
guardian, or other person who has control or charge of a child of
five unexcused
absences without response, the school shall send a notice to such
parent, guardian,
or other person by certified mail, return receipt requested. The
letter is to include a
copy of the Compulsory Attendance Law (O.C.G.A. 20-20-690.1) (Form
JE-1)
2. After Seven Unexcused Absences by students 14 years old and
older, schools
and/or school social workers shall notify students they have only
three unexcused
absences remaining prior to violating the attendance requirements
contained in
subsection (a.1) of O.C.G.A. 40-5-22 (Form
JE-2).
3. After Ten Absences:
a. Excused: A letter (Form
JE-3) will be sent from a school administrator to the parent
or guardian regarding attendance. This letter should not be sent
for a child with
documented, as defined in Section A above, illness unless school
administration
and/or the school social worker determines it necessary. In
addition, an
administrator shall confer with a School Social Worker to
determine whether a
referral is warranted, at this time.
b. Unexcused: A letter (Form
JE-3) will be sent from a school administrator to the
parent or guardian regarding attendance. If the student has ten or
more
unexcused absences within the current academic year or ten or more
days of
unexcused absences in the previous academic year and is between 14
and 18 years
of age, his/her eligibility to obtain or retain an instruction
permit or driver’s license
may be impacted.
4. After Fifteen Absences:
a. Excused: A school administrator shall confer with a School
Social Worker to
determine whether a referral is warranted, at this time.
b. Unexcused: A referral shall be made to the School Social
Worker using the social
work form (Form
JE-4).
c. If a referral is made to the School Social Worker, an administrator
must sign the
form
and all relevant correspondence and documentation must be attached. The
Social Worker
will work with the student and family in order to address the
attendance
problem. The Social Worker shall involve agencies and services such as
mental
health, social service agencies, clinic assistant or school nurse, student
and
parent
groups, truancy panel, and Department of Family and Children Services. If
the
Social Worker
interventions are unsuccessful, a complaint shall be filed in the
appropriate
court of law.
5. Absences due to out-of-school suspensions or expulsions are considered
unexcused
absences. However, parents of students who are suspended or expelled
will be notified
pursuant to Administrative Rules
JKDB and
JKDA.
6. Tardy/Early Check-Out:
a. After ten occurrences: A letter will be sent from the school
administrator to the
parent or guardian regarding missed instructional time. This
letter should not be
sent for a
child with documented illness unless school administration and/or the
school
social worker determines it necessary. In addition, the administrator shall
confer with
a school social worker to determine whether a referral is warranted at
this time.
b. After fifteen occurrences: The school administrator shall confer
with a School Social
Worker to determine whether a referral is warranted, at this time.
Pursuant to the
Georgia Compulsory Attendance Statute, O.C.G.A. & 20-2-690, et seq., a
parent or legal guardian who fails to send his or her child to school may be
charged with a misdemeanor. At its discretion, a court having jurisdiction
may subject the parent or guardian to a fine not less than $25.00 and not
greater than $100.00, imprisonment not to exceed thirty (30) days, community
service, or any combination of such penalties, if found guilty of violating
the Compulsory Attendance Statute. Each day's absence after the child’s
school system notifies the parent, guardian, or other person who has control
or charge of a child of five unexcused days of absence for a child shall be
considered a separate offense as related to the penalty.
Reclassified an
Administrative Rule: 9/1/04
Revised: 1/27/05; 6/21/05; 7/1/06 |
BOARD ADMINISTRATIVE
RULE