Taken from Pasco’s Elementary Code of Student Conduct

1. Attendance

All children who have attained or will have attained the age of 6 years by February 1 of any school year and have not yet attained the age of 16 years, except as otherwise provided, are required to attend school regularly during the entire school term. It is the District School Board of Pasco County’s belief that academic success requires continuity of instruction and active classroom participation. Attendance shall be required of all students enrolled in the schools during the days and hours that the school is in session. School attendance shall be the responsibility of parents and students.

(F.S. 1003.21)

Excerpt from Florida Statute 1003.26 (1)(B) "The principal shall, unless there is clear evidence that the absences are not a pattern of nonattendance, refer the case to the school's child study team to determine if early patterns of truancy are developing. If the child study team finds that a pattern of nonattendance is developing, whether the absences are excused or not, a meeting with the parent must be scheduled to identify potential remedies. If an initial meeting does not resolve the problem, the child study team shall implement interventions that best address the problem.”

Attendance Procedures

All elementary, middle and high school students who are absent will be marked “unexcused” (“U”) until the parent/guardian notifies the school in writing and justifies the absence.

· Failure to do so within three (3) school days will cause the absence to be recorded as “unexcused”.

· In the case of excessive or extended absences, upon request of the principal or designee, a parent must provide

documentation (doctor’s statement) of a student’s illness.

Make-up Work

Excused absences guarantee students the right to make up any and all assignments assigned on the day[s] of absence at full credit. The student is responsible for asking the teacher(s) for assignments and make-up tests within two (2) class meetings with the teacher. The teacher(s) shall specify a reasonable period of time for completion of make-up work. In no case shall the time be less than one full calendar day for each day missed. Work due to be turned in on the day of the excused absence will be turned in upon return and be given full credit. The principal or designee shall have the authority to modify these conditions with a confirmed hardship.

The following are acceptable reasons for a student’s absences from class:

· Illness of student.

· Major illness in the immediate family of the student (immediate family is determined as parents, brothers, sisters,

grandparents, aunts, uncles, legal guardians or persons in loco parentis, or a member of one's own household).

· Death in the immediate family of the student.

· Religious holiday of the student’s faith (including Yom Kippur, Rosh Hashanah, Epiphany, etc.)

· Religious instruction (including Bar/Bat Mitzvah, Confirmation, etc.)

· Religious institutes, conferences, or workshops, provided that the principal or designee approves the absence in

advance.

· Absences for trips or other parental requests that are determined to be educationally relevant for the student as

determined by the principal or designee. Requests must be approved at least one week in advance. The principal or

designee’s decision in this matter is final.

· In-school or out-of-school Suspension.

Student Code of Conduct page 7

· Subpoena or forced absence by any law enforcement agency. A copy of the subpoena or court summons must be submitted to the school.

· For purposes of attendance, school related activities would not be counted as absences from school.

Florida Law 1003.26(1)(b) provides that if a student has at least five (5) unexcused absences, or absences for which the reasons are unknown, within a calendar month or ten (10) unexcused absences, or absences for which the reasons are unknown, within a 90 calendar day period, the school must take action. The school may require documented medical and legal excuses for a pattern of non-attendance.

· Attendance shall be counted period by period. (Secondary only)

· A student, whose parent or legal guardian is an active duty member of the armed forces and has been called to duty, is

on leave from, or has immediately returned from deployment, shall be granted additional excused absences, at the discretion of a school district’s superintendent or designee, to spend time with said student’s parent/legal guardian, relative to such leave or deployment.

· After three (3) unexcused absences the school shall contact the home (or work place) of the parent/guardian to determine the reason for the absence.

If the initial parent/guardian meeting/contact does not resolve the problem and, the person responsible for all non-attendance, determines that an early pattern of non-attendance is developing, interventions that best address the problem will be developed. The interventions may include but need not be limited to:

· Attendance agreements.

· Referral to the school based intervention team.

If the attendance agreements and the referral to the school based intervention team are not successful, than a referral to the school social worker is initiated.

Once referred to the school social worker, a student and/or parent may be referred to the Office of the State Attorney’s Truancy Intervention Program (TIP), or to Children in Need of Services/Family in Need of Services (CINS/FINS) petition could be filed.

Tardiness and Early Checkout

Students need to arrive on time and stay through dismissal so they will receive important directions, class instruction and avoid other students who are working. Parents can set a good example by encouraging students to follow the school’s time schedule and to follow the procedures found in the school handbook. All parents must report to the front office when picking up their child prior to the regular dismissal time.