Absence Policy

In order for an absence to be excused:

• A parent note/email must be turned into the student's grade level clerk's office within 2-5 days of the student's return. Parent note/email must reflect the absence date(s), reason, student’s name, ID number and parent's signature. The note/email MUST be written and signed by the guardian to be valid.
• A doctor or medical excuse needs to be submitted to the student's grade level clerk's office within 5 days of the student’s return (preferred).

• All parent and doctor’s notes must be turned in to the student's grade level clerk's office.

• Please note the list below with the GCPS excused absences.

Notification letters will be sent to the parent or guardian after 5, 10, and 15 days of being unexcused. GCPS will send notification for 3, 7, and 12 absences excused and unexcused.

Excused Absences - State Board of Education Rule 160-5-1-.10 defines the following as excused absences:

• Personal illness or attendance in school endangers a student’s health or the health of others. (i) Local boards of education may request students to present appropriate medical documentation to school for the purpose of validating that the absence is an excused absence
• A serious illness or death in the student’s immediate family necessitating absence from school. (i) In the event of a serious illness in a student's immediate family, local boards of education may request students to present appropriate medical documentation regarding the family member upon return to school for the purpose of validating that the absence is an excused absence.
• A court order or an order by a government agency, including pre-induction physical examinations for service in the armed forces, mandating absence from school.
• Observing religious holidays, necessitating absence from school.
• Conditions rendering attendance impossible or hazardous to student health or safety. (For Gwinnett County Public Schools, the closure of schools for hazardous conditions may only be made by the Superintendent for the purposes of excused absences.)
• A period not to exceed one day is allowed at the discretion of the local unit of administration for registering to vote or voting in a public election.
• Local boards of education shall count students present when they are serving as pages for the Georgia General Assembly.
• Public school students visiting with a parent or legal guardian prior to or during leave from deployment to a combat zone or combat support posting as a member of the armed forces of the United States or the National Guard are allowed five excused absences per school year.
• Students who are in a foster home or otherwise in the foster care system under the Division of Family and Children Services of the Department of Human Services will be counted present for any day, portion of a day, or days missed from school when attending court proceedings related to that student’s foster care.
• A student who participates in the Student Teen Election Participant (STEP) program will be counted as present and given full credit for the school day during which he or she served in the STEP program.
• A student who participates in an activity or program sponsored by 4-H.

Tardy Policy

Tardy to School:  Students are required to be in homeroom by 9:20 A.M.  Students who arrive later are considered tardy and must obtain a pass to class from the front office staff.  If a student has four unexcused tardies in one six week period, he/she may receive an administrative intervention. Excused tardies include: illness, doctor's appointments, or late buses.  Parents must provide the school with a copy of the excuse note for the tardy to be marked as excused.

Tardy to Class: Students should arrive to classes in a timely manner.  Tardies will count towards studetns consequences on the team discipline plan.  Excessive class tardies may result in administrative intervention.