Attendance Policy

Regular school attendance is indicative of a positive attitude toward learning and self-discipline. Therefore, it is in each student’s best interest to attend school every day. School day defined: The length of the school day includes not less than six hours of instruction, excluding class changes and lunch periods. The Griffin-Spalding County School System’s policy is to allow a student no more than seven unexcused absences from any class per semester. If absences exceed seven days, excuses must be brought to the attendance office and cleared for a student to receive credit.

Absence from school is excused for the following reasons:

  1. Personal illness and when attendance in school would endanger their health or the health of others

  2. Serious illness or death in family

  3. Condition making attendance impossible

  4. Special and recognized religious holidays observed by their faith

  5. Serving as Page in the General Assembly (counted present for class)

  6. Trips approved by the local school board (first two days only)

  7. Approved school events

  8. Required court appearance

  9. Certain military pre-induction physical and military testing

  10. Official visits to colleges or universities

  11. Students may be excused from school attendance when prevented from such attendance due to conditions rendering school attendance impossible or hazardous to their health or safety.

Any other absence must first be approved “excused” by the principal to be considered excused. Parents of students who have unexcused absences totaling five days will be notified by letter as to the student’s unexcused absence. Parents of students who have unexcused absences totaling seven or more days may be notified by the school social worker as to their expectations of their child attending school and the consequences of continued non-attendance.

Parents of students who have unexcused absences totaling ten days will be notified by letter as to the student’s unexcused absence. If the student is under 16 years of age, legal action within the court system may be taken by the school. If a student is over 16 years of age, the student may be withdrawn from Griffin-Spalding County School System due to non-attendance.

REMINDERS

1. All excuses must be taken to the attendance office to have the absence changed from unexcused to excused.

2. Keep a record of your absence should you ever need it.

3. It is the student’s responsibility to obtain work from teachers whose classes he/she missed in accordance with school policy.

Compulsory Attendance Law

The Griffin-Spalding County Board of Education’s Policy JBA (www.spalding.k12.ga.us) requires that elementary and secondary students miss no more than 15 days each school year. Students in middle and high school shall have no more than seven (7) absences per semester. Middle and high school students who are absent more than seven (7) days per semester will receive credit only if the student adheres to the makeup work provisions described in Griffin-Spalding County Board of Education Policies JBA and JBD and brings a doctor’s excuse or presents acceptable extenuating circumstances for the absences. Students have twice the number of school days missed to make up assigned work.

The school attendance law for Georgia is as follows: A Section 20-2-690.1:

A. Every parent, guardian, or other person residing within this state having control or charge of any child or children between their sixth and sixteenth birthdays shall enroll and send such child or children to a public school, a private school, or a home study program (O.C.G.A. 20-2-690.1) that meets the requirements for a public school, a private school, or a home study program under such penalty, for noncompliance with this subsection as is provided in Chapter 11 of Title 15, unless the child’s failure to enroll and attend is caused by the child’s parent, guardian, or other person, in which case the parent, guardian, or other person alone shall be responsible.

Whenever students are absent, for any reason, students’ parents or legal guardians must send a signed and dated written explanation of the absence to the school administrator no later than the first day students return to school after an absence. In the event a reasonable suspicion exists that prolonged absences are not due to illness, medical documentation may be requested before it can be determined whether or not to excuse an absence.

Principals in compliance with state and local policy IED may grant students an excused absence in order for the students to attend an educational trip. The student and/or parents/guardians shall meet with the principal to discuss the purpose and details of the trip. It shall be left to the discretion of the school principal to determine if the absence shall be considered excused or unexcused.

B. Any parent, guardian, or other person residing in the state who has control or charge of a child or children and who shall violate this Code section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be subject to a fine not less than $25.00 and not greater than $100.00, imprisonment not to exceed 30 days, community service, or any combination of such penalties, at the discretion of the court having jurisdiction.

Each day’s absence from school in violation of this part after the child’s school system notifies the parent, guardian, or other person who has control or charge of a child of five unexcused days of absence for a child shall constitute a separate offense. After two reasonable attempts to notify the parent, guardian, or other person who has control or charge of a child of five unexcused days of absence without response, the school shall send a notice to such parent, guardian, or other person by first class mail. Any child subject to compulsory attendance who during the school calendar year has more than five days of unexcused absences is considered truant.

SUMMARY

The Compulsory Attendance Law (O.C.G.A. 20-2-690.1) requires that the parent, guardian, or other person who has control or charge of a child or children sign a statement indicating he/she has received a written statement of possible consequences and penalties. In addition, the law requires children, who are age ten years or older by September 1, to sign a statement indicating he/she has received a written statement of possible consequences and penalties. Pursuant to O.C.G.A. 20-2-690.1, the Griffin-Spalding County Board of Education, requires that notification be given to the parent, guardian, or other person having control or charge of each child enrolled in the Griffin-Spalding County School System of possible consequences and penalties for failing to comply with compulsory attendance under O.C.G. A. 20-2-690.1. These possible consequences and penalties are as follows:

• Guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof, shall be subject to a fine not less than $25.00 and not greater than $100.00.

• Imprisonment not to exceed 30 days, community service, or any combination of such penalties, at the discretion of the court having jurisdiction.

• Each day’s absence from school in violation of the Compulsory Attendance Law shall constitute a SEPARATE OFFENSE.