ATTENDANCE
MANADATORY ATTENDANCE LEGISLATION: Alabama Code (1975) §16-28-3 requires all children between the age of six (6) and seventeen (17) years of age to attend school for the minimum number of scholastic days prescribed by the Alabama State Board of Education. School administrators are required under state law to enforce compulsory school attendance laws. Regular attendance by students facilitates the development of skills and knowledge necessary to function in a modern democratic society. Students who are habitually absent from school are considered truant, and such absences will be reported to the Macon County District Attorney’s Office/Juvenile Justice.
Failure Due to Absence (FA): Students who accumulate 10 or more unexcused absences may be awarded an FA at the end of each semester. The principal/superintendent (designee) may negotiate academic and attendance contract with the student/parent. However, this contract which is subject to approval by the superintendent does not excuse the truancy or compulsory attendance law or the consequences of the truancy law.
ABSENCES
Excused Absences - A student shall be excused for absences from the school for the following reasons:
1. Illness (Doctor’s note are preferred and required when more than nine (18) parent notes regarding illness have been filed.)
2. Inclement weather which would be dangerous to the life of the pupil if he/she attended school (as determined by the Superintendent of Education).
3. Legal quarantine, death in the immediate family, emergency conditions as determined by the Superintendent or Principal: and
4. Prior permission of the principal upon request of the parent or legal guardian.
Unexcused Absences - Absences for reasons other than those listed shall be considered unexcused.
CHECK-INS AND CHECK-OUTS
Any student who arrives after school has begun must go to the designated school office area for check-in and any student who leaves early must go to the designated office area for check-out. Each school will devise procedures that will ensure compliance with this regulation. Please note that check-ins and check-outs during the school day are highly discouraged. Students will not be allowed to check into school after 11:30 p.m., excused or unexcused. Only an individual whose name appears on the registration card can check-in the students unless the school verifies permission with the parent/guardian. Persons who pick students up may be required to present a state ID/license which may be checked against state and national sexual predator registries. Check-ins are excused for the same reasons as absences. Check-ins for any other reason are unexcused and may result in disciplinary action. No make-up work is allowed for unexcused check-ins. Students who are 18 years of age may not check themselves in without following the same guidelines. Valid picture identification is required.
Students who have a valid need to leave school before the dismissal bell shall be checked-out at the office of the principal. Such students must be signed out by the parent or guardian or designated individual. Check-ins and check-outs are excused for the same reason as absences. The principal has the responsibility of making decisions relating to check-outs. Such decisions shall be made in the best interest of the student when emergencies or unusual circumstances arise. Students must attend a minimum of one-half of the instructional day to be counted present and to participate in extracurricular activities. An early dismissal before one-half of the school day (three and one-half hours) is counted as an absence.
Check-ins, check-outs, and tardies for more than 50% of the day will be considered a full day absence from the class period missed and will be treated as any other absence. Students who leave school for any reason must check-out through the school office following their school’s check-out procedure. Only persons whose names appear on the school’s registration card may check-out students. Written permission should be given by the parent/guardian or “emergency person” shown on the school’s registration card before each check-out, except in cases of sudden illness, accident, or similar incident where telephone confirmation is the only alternative.
Students who are 18 years of age may not check themselves out without following the same guidelines. Valid picture identification is required. In order to be excused, a written explanation for the time missed must be submitted and will follow the same guidelines for excused or unexcused absences as outlined in the Macon County Board of Education Policy Handbook.
Morning Entry Procedures for Students - All students have a designated entry to use in the morning for entrance into school. The late bell for most schools rings five minutes after the school’s official start time. Students who are late to school for the day and must report to the designated office to receive an admit slip to class. The tardy will either be classified as excused or unexcused. Students who accumulate five or more days of unexcused absences will enter the district’s Attendance Intervention Initiative, which commences with a required attendance hearing. If the pattern of unexcused absences and/or tardies continues, the parent and/or student will be referred to juvenile court and reported to the Macon County District Attorney’s Office.
Classroom Attendance - Students should be in their assigned seat and ready to work when the bell rings. They should start work on the assignment that has been designed as their bell ringer. When coming to class tardy, students should present a tardy slip to the teacher. If the student does not have a tardy slip, the teacher should admit the student to class and complete an office referral that reflects an unexcused tardy to the office. From this point, a school administrator will deal with the student’s tardiness. Teachers will maintain a record of student attendance in the district’s electronic attendance program.
MAKE-UP WORK
If a student is absent for any excused reason, the student shall make arrangements with the teacher the day he/she returns to school to make up missed work. Students who are absent/tardy (unexcused) to class are not entitled to make-up work and run the risk of earning a low or failing grade. Make-up work is not granted when the absence is due to suspension or expulsion. Failure Due to Absence (FA) - Students who accumulate 10 or more unexcused absences may be awarded an FA at the end of each semester. The principal/superintendent (designee) may negotiate academic and attendance contract with the student/parent. However, this contract which is subject to approval by the superintendent does not excuse the truancy or compulsory attendance law or the consequences of the truancy law.
Perfect Attendance - A Macon County Board of Education Perfect Attendance Certificate is given to any student in the system who has not been absent from any class during the entire school year. Each school is responsible for securing and presenting this certificate.
STUDENT WITHDRAWAL DUE TO ABSENCES
Department of Public Safety Compliance: Alabama Code Section 16-28-40 The Code of Alabama §16-28-40 defines withdrawals as “more than ten (10) consecutive days or fifteen (15) days of total unexcused absences during a single semester.” A student who has met these criteria (without acceptable parent, doctor, or legal excuses) is subject to withdrawal from school. For students seventeen (17) years of age or older who are withdrawn from school due to attendance issues, the Attendance Officer notifies the Department of Public Safety of the withdrawal. The Department of Public Safety shall deny or revoke a driver’s license or learner’s permit for the operation of a motor vehicle to any person under the age of nineteen (19) who has obtained the withdrawn status. License applicant under 19 to provide documentation of school enrollment, etc.; duties of school attendance official; withdrawal from school; conviction for certain pistol offenses. The Department of Public Safety shall deny a driver's license or a learner's license for the operation of a motor vehicle to any person under the age of 19 who does not, at the time of application, present a diploma or other certificate of graduation issued to the person from a secondary high school of this state or any other state, or documentation that the person:
(1) is enrolled and making satisfactory progress in a course leading to a general educational development certificate (GED) from a state approved institution or organization, or has obtained the certificate;
(2) is enrolled in a secondary school of this state or any other state and has not at the time of application accumulated disciplinary points while a student in school that would extend the age of eligibility for the student to apply for a driver's license; (
(3) is participating in a job training program approved by the State Superintendent of Education;
(4) is gainfully and substantially employed;
(5) is a parent with the care and custody of a minor or unborn child;
(6) has a physician certify that the parents of the person depend on him or her as their sole source of transportation; or
(7) is exempted from this requirement due to circumstances beyond his or her control as provided in this chapter. The attendance officer or chief attendance administrator, upon request, shall provide documentation of enrollment status and disciplinary points on a form approved by the Department of Education to any student 15 years of age or older who is properly enrolled in a school under the jurisdiction of the official, for presentation to the Department of Public Safety, on application for, or renewal or reinstatement of, a driver's license or a learner's license to operate a motor vehicle. Whenever a student 16 years of age or older withdraws from school, the attendance officer or chief attendance administrator shall notify the Department of Public Safety of the withdrawal. Withdrawal shall be defined as more than 10 consecutive or 15 days total unexcused absences during a single semester. Within five days of receipt of a notice of withdrawal, the Department of Public Safety shall send notice to the licensee that his or her driver's license or learner's license will be suspended under this article on the 30th day following the date the notice was sent unless documentation of compliance with this article is received by the department before the 30th day. Whenever the withdrawal from school of the student, or the failure of the student to enroll in a course leading to, or to obtain a GED or high school diploma, is beyond the control of the student, or is for the purpose of transfer to another school as confirmed in writing by the parent or guardian of the student, or is for the purpose of participating in a job training program approved by the State Superintendent of Education, no notice shall be sent by the proper school official to the Department of Public Safety to suspend the license of the student. If the student is applying for or renewing a driver's license or a learner's license, the attendance officer or chief attendance administrator, upon request, shall provide the student with documentation to present to the Department of Public Safety to exempt the student from this section. The local superintendent of education with the assistance of the county or city school attendance director as the case may be, and any other staff or school personnel, or the appropriate school official of any private secondary school, shall be the sole judge of whether the withdrawal is due to circumstances beyond the control of the person. Suspension or expulsion from school or imprisonment in a jail or penitentiary is not a circumstance beyond the control of a person. (Acts 1993, No. 93-368, p. 628, §1; Acts 1994, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 94-820, p. 138,§1; Act 2009-713, p. 2095, §3.)
Report of Withdrawal/ Exclusion Status by the Macon County Board of Education to Dept. of Public Safety
For purposes of these procedures only, a student may be considered “withdrawn” from school if he/ she is 17 years of age or older and has accumulated more than 10 consecutive days of unexcused absences during a single semester or more than 15 days total unexcused absences during a single semester. It shall be the responsibility of the local school designee to identify students who have “withdrawn” from school. The local school designee shall complete and file, with the Department of Public Safety, the Enrollment/ Exclusion Form (SS401) for every student who is determined to be “withdraw”.
Students will not be reported as “withdrawn” if they meet the following criteria: • Any student who is withdrawn from school for the purpose of transfer to another school, as confirmed in writing by the student’s parent/guardian. • Any student who has withdrawn from school for the purpose of participation in a job training program approved by the State Department of Education. • Any student whose absence from school beyond 10 consecutive days or 15 days total unexcused absences during a single semester is, in the opinion of the principal or designee, beyond the control of the student as defined below.
Circumstances beyond the control of the student may include the following: • Students who are mentally or physically unable to attend school. • Students who are regularly and legally employed under the provisions of the Child Labor Law. • Students who, because of the distance they reside from school and the lack of public transportation, are compelled to walk more than two miles to attend a public school (Authority-School Attendance Manual, Alabama State Dept. of Ed 2011). Note: Does not include suspension or expulsion from school or imprisonment as an exemption. (Alabama Code Section 16-28-40)
Students/parents can appeal this policy within 15 days of the issuance of the enrollment status. The appeal shall be filed, in writing, include a statement of reasons for the appeal, and be sent directly to the District Resource Officer. Authority- School Attendance Manual, Alabama State Dept. of Ed 2011. The individual requesting the appeal shall be notified in writing of the decision. If the individual does not agree with the decision, he/she may appeal to the Superintendent within five (5) days. The superintendent shall review the decision, make a determination and notify the individual orally or in writing of the decision. Procedure for reporting “withdrawn” students to the Department of Public Safety are as follows: • The Enrollment and Attendance Coordinators review attendance data with schools to determine students who meet criteria of 17 years or older with more than 10 consecutive days of unexcused absences during a single term or more than 15 days of unexcused absences during a single semester. • The Attendance Coordinator sends a letter to the parent advising them of the policy to report to the Department of Public Safety. • The Enrollment Coordinator files the Enrollment Form with the Department of Public Safety due to non- attendance.
Back to Top