Attendance Policy

ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS

Wilkes County Schools Policy

EXCUSED ABSENCES

The Wilkes County Board of Education shall excuse the temporary absence of a student upon a showing of satisfactory evidence of one of the following bases:

• Illness or injury prevents the student from being physically able to attend school or the local health officer or the State Board of Health orders the isolation of the student.
• The student is absent due to the death of a member of the immediate family of the child.
• The student has a medical or dental appointment (doctor notes will be accepted at principal’s discretion).
• The student is a party to or is under subpoena as a witness in the proceedings of a court or administrative tribunal.
• The student has obtained prior approval by the principal to be absent due to the observance of an event required or suggested by the religion of the student or the student’s parents.
• The student obtains prior approval (by the principal) to take advantage of a valid educational opportunity, such as travel. Educational Travel is unexcused until all class assignments are made up.

While attendance is required, there shall be no penalty for six (6) excused absences per course per semester, provided that all class work is made up to the satisfaction of the teacher of each class missed. Students are strongly encouraged to submit notes from a doctor or parent to excuse absences to the main office within 3 days of the absence to maintain accurate attendance records. Notes must be submitted within five (5) days of the absence in order to be reflected in attendance documentation; otherwise the absence will be considered unexcused.

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CONSECUTIVE ABSENCES

After the tenth consecutive absence, any student age 16 or over will be dropped from the school’s enrollment unless the school has been notified of the student’s need to be absent for more than 10 consecutive days.

UNEXCUSED ABSENCES

For every unexcused absence, the student shall immediately meet with each teacher of every class missed and shall, to the satisfaction of the teacher of the class missed, make up all work missed.

COURSE CREDIT

Students will be required to have all missing assignments completed, complete the semester with a passing average (not counting the final exam), and earn a grade of 70 or higher on the final exam to receive credit for any course with more than 6 absences. Any absence, excused or unexcused, beyond 6 requires students to meet the WCS Attendance Policy 4400 and turn in an attendance appeal form by the deadline in each corresponding semester.

APPEAL PROCESS

Students may appeal due to excessive absences to the attendance committee. Any appeal to the attendance committee must be submitted in writing to the principal on school attendance appeal forms. It is the responsibility of the student, not the school, to know if an attendance appeal is needed. The request for an appeal must state the reason the student believes he should be allowed the opportunity to earn credit for the course. Written documents in support of the student’s statement must be attached to the notice of request for the appeal. Prior to the review of the attendance committee, the student shall make up all work for all absences.

EXAM EXEMPTION WCS Exam Exemption Policy

With written permission from the parent, guardian or custodian, a student may be exempt from a teacher-made exam if he/she meets the following requirements:

Grade Average	Miss No More Than	Have No More Than
A	4 class periods	3 tardies
B	3 class periods	3 tardies
C	2 class periods	3 tardies
D	1 class period	3 tardies

Any student that qualifies for exam exemption may choose to take the exam. School-related absences will not count against a student’s exam exemption. A student’s privilege to be exempted under this policy will be forfeited if the student has been assigned to In School Suspension and/or Out-of-School Suspension for disciplinary actions. Teacher-made tests do not include any developed and administered by NCDPI (i.e. EOC, CTE, field tests, etc.), or any AP exams. Students enrolled in AP courses will still be required to take the AP exam. Students will be counted absent during class periods for which they are exempt if they do not attend school for state reporting purposes and safety.

*** Any student who has been assigned ISS or OSS during the semester forfeits their privilege to be exempt from all teacher-made exams.

TARDY POLICY

Being on time and prepared is a skill that all students must learn to be successful throughout life, and it is absolutely necessary that students be in class and prepared for the lesson to begin when the tardy bell rings. A tardy student disrupts the instructional process for the entire class, and excessive tardiness will not be tolerated in our school. As part of our PBIS program, the student body can work toward earning privileges such as extended breaks, PBIS treats, pep rallies, after school dances, etc. if we have 95% of all students arriving on time for class daily.

Please note that students do receive a tardy when checking out early. This will be coded as an excused tardy with the appropriate documentation. Although these tardies do not impact referral to administration as tardies for being late to class do, they do impact NCHSAA eligibility requirements. Students should always aim to have excellent attendance and avoid checking out of any class early if at all possible.

Please read thoroughly!

The only excused tardy is one for a medical appointment on the date the student arrived late (note must be submitted that same day from the medical professional). School buses arriving late to school will not be counted as tardy. Student drivers will follow the driver’s attendance/tardy policy and violations will result in loss of driving privileges. Students arriving to class after the 7:45am bell are considered tardy. Any student considered tardy should check in at the front office.

• 1st Tardy - Documented in attendance records
• 2nd Tardy - Documented in attendance records
• 3rd Tardy - Documented in attendance records & Parent Contact by Teacher
• 4th Tardy - Documented in attendance records, Office Discipline Referral Submitted, minimum of 1 week Lunch Detention assigned by WCHS administration
• 5th+ Tardy - WCHS Administrative Discretion (ISS, loss of parking privileges, etc.)

***If a student driver accumulates excessive tardies, his/her driving privileges may be revoked***

WCHS TARDY Policy for Drivers

• After 4 unexcused tardies - 1st ODR + Student Conference with Administrator + 1 week lunch detention with parent/guardian notification
• After 8 unexcused tardies - 2nd ODR + 1 day of ISS + Loss of driving privileges for 1 week with parent/guardian notification
• After 12 unexcused tardies - 3rd ODR + 2 days of ISS + Loss of driving privileges for 2 weeks with parent/guardian notification
• After 16 or more unexcused tardies - 4th ODR + ISS (WCHS Administrative Discretion) + Loss of driving privileges for remainder of semester or school year and student must turn in parking pass with parent/guardian notification

Further disciplinary action needed for additional ODRs will be at the discretion of WCHS administration.

CHECK-IN AND CHECK-OUT PROCEDURES

EARLY DEPARTURES

When leaving school early for a planned reason other than a school-release activity, students must turn in a note from the parent/guardian to the main office before school begins so that the note can be verified. Students with verified notes are responsible for reporting to the main office to sign out at the time indicated on the note they bring to school. Classroom instruction will not be interrupted for students to be called to the office who bring a note to check out. The parent or guardian of a student needing to leave school early, must notify the school in person or in writing by emailing through the CONTACT US feature on the WCHS website with permission for their child to leave campus. Parental permission will be verified. Phone calls alone will not be accepted for check outs. Please understand that this is necessary for us to keep all students safe.

Leaving Due to Illness

If students need to leave school early due to illness, parent/guardian permission must be obtained by one of the following:

• The parent/guardian checks the student out in-person in the WCHS main office.
• The parent/guardian emails the WCHS main office through the “Contact Us” feature on our school website requesting their student be allowed to check out. All emails will be verified with a phone call.
• The parent/guardian faxes a note with the check out request. All faxes received will be verified with a phone call.

Any student who signs out without prior approval will not be allowed back on campus that day without being accompanied by a parent/guardian or by presenting a medical note from a doctor/clinic to the WCHS main office.

MerleFest Check-Outs: Students checking out of school for MerleFest MUST bring a note from home the day of check out. No phone calls will be allowed!!

LATE ARRIVAL

Students arriving at school late for any reason after 7:45 a.m. must report directly to the main office to receive a pass from a staff member and to sign-in with the receptionist in the office. Students will be marked tardy if they have missed less than half of the class period or absent if they have missed more than half of the class period. This does not apply if students are late to school due to a late bus or school-release activity.

COMPULSORY ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS

North Carolina General Statute §115C-378 provides that “Every parent, guardian or other person in the State having charge or control of a child between the ages of seven and sixteen years shall cause such child to attend school continuously for a period equal to the time which the public school to which the child is assigned shall be in session... The State Compulsory Attendance Laws shall be strictly observed by the Wilkes County Board of Education.

Parents must send a note documenting every absence, excused or unexcused. All missed work must be made up appropriately. The parent note should include the absence dates, reason for absences and a phone number where a parent can be reached. Notes must be submitted within five (5) days in order to be reflected in attendance documentation; otherwise the absence will be considered unexcused.

INVOLUNTARY SUSPENSIONS

The absence of a student which results from suspension out of school for misconduct pursuant to the provisions of G.S. §115C-391, shall not be considered an unexcused absence for the purpose of the Compulsory Attendance Law. Students who are suspended or sent home will make-up all missed work. Any student suspended from school may not participate in or be a spectator at any extra-curricular activity at any Wilkes County School event/function. Students will also be held to the WCS Board Policy 4400.