Board Policy: Absences & Excuses

BOARD OF EDUCATION POLICY ON ABSENCES & EXCUSES (CODE JBD)

The Bulloch County Board of Education believes that regular school attendance is essential to gaining a quality education. Each school shall intervene early when students begin to accumulate absences. These interventions shall include telephone calls, letters, home visits informing of absences and resource referrals to parents offering assistance in resolving attendance problems. If attendance problems continue a referral to the Attendance Support Team will result. The purpose of the Attendance Support Team is to provide school and community-based assistance to families when needed to address attendance concerns. The Attendance Support Team is intended to be a preventive and not punitive means to promote excellent, regular attendance.

 

A. Absences and Excuses

Students are expected to be in attendance in Bulloch County Schools in accordance with compulsory attendance laws and for the number of full-length days prescribed by law. A student shall not be absent from school or from any class or other required school hours except for illness or other providential cause, unless with written permission of the teacher, principal, or their duly authorized school official. No student shall encourage, urge or counsel other students to violate this policy.

 

Absences will be considered either “excused” or “unexcused” as permitted under state law and State Board of Education policies, students may be excused for the following reasons:

• Personal illness or when attendance in school would endanger the student’s health or the health of others;
• A serious illness or death in a student’s immediate family that necessitates absences from school;
• Celebrating special, recognized religious holidays observed by their faith, necessitating absence from school;
• A court order or an order by a governmental agency, including pre-induction physical examinations for service in the armed forces, mandating absence from school;
• Conditions rendering school attendance impossible or hazardous to student health or safety; or
• One day to register or vote in public election.
• Parent being called to duty for or is on leave from overseas deployment to a combat zone or combat support posting. (Up to five days.)
• Attendance at military affairs sponsored events (up to 5 days), provided the student provides documentation prior to absence from a provider of care at or sponsored by a medical facility of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.
• An event sponsored by a corporation exempt from taxation under Section 501(c)(19) of the Internal Revenue Service.
• The Bulloch County Board of Education will record students in grades 9-12 as present when visiting prospective colleges, up to a maximum of five (5) days per year if the student receives approval from school administrators prior to the visitation.

 

Proper Documentation for Absences

In order for any absence to be excused the student must present a written excuse within five (5) school days after returning to school. Excuses for absences shall be furnished in writing, and shall be signed by the student’s parent or guardian.

• Excuses for absences shall specifically state the dates and reasons for the absence.
• Absences beyond five (5) days may require other documentation.

Excused Absences

In order for any absence to be excused the student must present a written excuse within five (5) school days after returning to school.

• All excuses will be evaluated by the principal or a designee to determine if the absence is excused ,unexcused or pre-approved.
• Absences due to out of school suspensions shall be recorded as excused absences.
• Students shall be counted present when serving as pages of the General Assembly.
• Students in foster care shall be counted present when attending court proceedings relating to their foster care.
• For purposes of determining perfect attendance, students shall have no tardies and no early dismissals.

Make-up Work

Work missed due to unexcused absences may be made up at the discretion of the principal or his/her designee under extenuating circumstances. Students shall be permitted to make up work when absences are excused.

Attendance Events for Hardship, School Choice and Out-Of-Zone Students

This information is for students who gained entrance into schools outside of their attendance zones via the former hardship application procedure, HB 251 School Choice, SB 10 Special Education School Choice, as well as students who move outside of their school zone during the course of the year.

• Schools will use attendance events to be the determining factor as to when students will be moved back to their home attendance zone school. Attendance events are defined as unexcused tardies, unexcused absences, early dismissals and late afternoon pick ups. Tardies at the middle school and high school level will be determined by first period tardies.
• Once a student reaches 12 attendance events, the principal has the discretion to move the student back to his/her home attendance zone school.
• On all documents which the parent/guardian handles in the process (HB 251 application, SB 10 application, letter of approval for transfer by HB 251 & SB 10), a paragraph regarding this protocol will be clearly stated.

Dr. Julie Chance
Executive Director of Program Improvement
912.212.8547

Gwen Ray
Administrative Assistant
912.212.8560

Tim Rountree
Administrator 
Transitions Learning Center; Graduation Performance Academy
912.212.8610

Keith Wilkey
Director of School Social Work 
& Homeless Liaison
912.212.8883

Hanson Filson
School Social Worker & Foster Care Liaison
912.212.8516

Alexandra Hill
School Social Worker
912.212.8574

Shyrae Mutcherson
School Social Worker 
Dept. of Family & Children's Services Liaison
912.212.8516