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TENNESSEE COMPULSORY SCHOOL ATTENDANCE LAW The current school attendance policy will be followed. The Tennessee Compulsory School Attendance Law states that a child must attend school from six (6) until eighteen (18) years of age. Every parent, guardian or other person residing within the State of Tennessee, having control or charge of any child or children between the ages of six (6) and eighteen (18) years, both inclusive shall cause such child or children to attend public or non-public school, and in the event of failure to do so, shall be subject to the penalties hereafter provided. Homework is the student's responsibility - not the teacher's. For make-up work if the absence(s) is/are excused. Students should make arrangements within three (3) days after they return to school. Any additional time allowed will be at the teacher's discretion. Teachers are not to give any more than 30 minutes of homework per subject per night. Honor or upper-level courses may require more time.
ATTENDANCE REPORTS REQUIRED BY LAW It shall be the duty of every principal or teacher of every public and non-public school to report promptly to the superintendent of schools, or his designated representatives, the names of all children who have withdrawn from school, or who have been absent five (5) days. (This means a total of five (5) days during the school year and not necessarily five (5) consecutive days without adequate excuse.) Such superintendent shall thereupon serve, or cause to be served, upon the parent, guardian or other person in Tennessee in parental relation to such children unlawfully absent from school, written notice that attendance of such children at school is required. The superintendent of any local system, after written notice to the parent or guardian of a child, shall report any child who habitually and unlawfully absents itself from school to the appropriate judge having juvenile jurisdiction in that county, the child to be dealt with in such manner as the judge may determine to be for the best interest of the child. STUDENT ATTENDANCE To fulfill the requirements for satisfactory attendance, the Hickman County Board of Education requires that all students shall have an approved record of attendance. An approved record of attendance is considered to be ninety-three percent (93%) attendance in each class. Students who miss more than six (6) days in a nine week grading period (including both excused and unexcused absences) in a class may not pass that class for the semester. Students may submit in writing a list of extenuating circumstances to be reviewed by the attendance committee of that school (e.g. hospital stay, death in immediate family, etc.). Following this review the committee will then recommend appropriate action. The attendance of students who have reached the age of eighteen (18) shall be regular. Poor attendance that is not supported by an adequate excuse shall result in that student being dropped from the roll. Poor grade work will result in an 18 year old student being dropped from the roll. Request for re-admission must be in writing by the student and his/her parent/guardian. They must then appear before the Hickman County Board of Education for re-admission. A student who is suspended or expelled by the authority of T.C.A. 49-6-3401 from another school system shall not be granted entrance into the Hickman County School System (or it's representative) until re-instatement has been granted by the previous school system. DEFINITIONS 1. ABSENT: A student not being in attendance in regularly scheduled classes at the school where he/she attends. Approved school activities do not count as an absence. 2. PRESENT: A student being in attendance in regularly scheduled classes at the school where he/she attends. 3. EARLY DISMISSAL: A student leaving class or school early. 4. ATTENDANCE COMMITTEE: Consists of at least one (1) Board of Education member, the principal or assistant principal and a teacher that has been sanctioned by the superintendent of schools and the Board of Education. 5. POOR ATTENDANCE: Over six (6) days per nine week grading period or eleven (11) days per semester. The following are examples of absences or tardies which are unexcused: 1. Truancy 2. Shopping 3. Recreational activities 4. Birthday or other celebration 5. Car trouble 6. Job or job interview 7. Oversleeping 8. If you have to take the driving test the second time because you failed it the first time. 9. Students who arrive after the 7:55 bell beginning with the second time will be given a double tardy and all other times afterwards.. Students arriving on late busses will be given a note through the vocational office or an announcement will be made to admit students to classes RULES AND PENALTIES 1. A student must present documentation of his/her absence and receive a class admittance note before entering class. If absence is not cleared up in 3 days the absence then becomes unexcused. 2. After five (5) unexcused absences, the principal or the principal's designee will contact the parent and request an explanation for the child's absences. If the principal deems the absences to be unexcused according to Tennessee Code Annotated, the case will be referred to the Attendance Supervisor. 3. A grade of "INCOMPLETE" will be received for any work missed until the work is made up. Teachers are instructed by the Principals to remind Students about any make up work due as a courtesy to the student. A student may have one (1) to three (3) school days to make up work from a single excused absence and from one (1) to ten (10) school days to make up work from an excused absence longer than a single day. The teacher will determine the appropriate length of time for completion of make-up work. It is the responsibility of the student to arrange a conference time with the teacher to get make-up assignments. At the end of this time, a grade of zero (0) will be recorded for all work missed. Only 3 (three) parent notes will be accepted for sickness. Doctor notes will be required when asked for by the Principal. 4. A grade of zero (0) will be recorded for any worked missed because of an unexcused absence. Penalties may be instituted if the administration deems them appropriate. 5. A student's parent or guardian may request a hearing before the Attendance Committee to determine the actual number of absences that have occurred and to decide whether any extenuating circumstances necessitating the absences exist. 6. Time spent in before-school, after-school, or Saturday detention is for disciplinary purposes and will not be construed as make-up time. Under no circumstances will detention time be substituted for class time and/or work missed.
TARDIES AND EARLY DISMISSALS 1. Any student who misses more than one-half (1/2) of a class period will be counted absent. 2. After five (5) unexcused tardies or five (5) unexcused early dismissals from a class, or combination of the two, a student will be required to stay for detention. Detention will be required for each five (5) successive unexcused tardies or early dismissals. ** However, persistent tardies may lead to additional consequences at the discretion of an administrator. Unexcused tardies and early dismissals from class will be counted per semester. ** TARDIES Tardies, whether it be arriving to school late or to the class late, are very disruptive. This problem will be handled in the following way: a. Five (5) tardies in a semester student will receive after school detention. b. Ten (10) tardies in a semester student will receive after school detention plus parent will be notified. c. Fifteen (15) tardies in a semester student will receive three days of In-school suspension. d. Twenty (20) tardies in a semester student will receive five days of In- school suspension. e. Twenty-five (25) tardies in a semester student will receive Saturday school. f. After a student receives thirty (30) tardies in a semester, discipline will be left up to the administrator. |
