Find the Attendance Policy

Dear Parent/Guardian,
        We need your help with an important goal for the Scott County School District this year. We want to ensure that every student attends school every single day (whether in person or virtually).
        Attending school regularly has a significant, positive impact on your child’s academic success – from kindergarten through high school. Even as he or she grows older and more independent, you play a key role in making sure your child gets to school safely and on time every day. For context, most students in Tennessee miss six or less days each school year.
        We realize some absences are unavoidable due to health problems or other circumstances. But we also know that when students miss too much school – regardless of the reason- it can cause them to fall behind academically. Absences can add up quickly. Students are less likely to succeed academically if they miss 10% or more of instructional days over the course of the school year (this means missing about two days of school per month or about 18 days per year). This number could be less depending on snow days used.
        Research Shows:
• Tennessee students who are chronically absent in kindergarten are 15 percentage points less likely to reach proficiency in either 3rd grade math or ELA.
• Nationally, four out of five students who miss more than 10% of both kindergarten and first grade are unable to read on grade-level by third grade.
• The problem continues, as students get older. Tennessee students who are chronically absent in 9th grade are 30 percentage points less likely to earn an on-time diploma (62 % vs. 92%).
        We want your child to be successful in school. Let us know how we can best support you and your child so that he or she shows up for school on time every day. If you have any questions or need more information, please contact me, your child’s teacher, principal, or school counselor.
Sincerely,
Vince Owens
Attendance Supervisor

Attendance Policy
Scott County Schools

III. B. Attendance

It is essential that students be in school on a regular basis. Students who are not in school miss valuable academic instruction. Our schools must adhere to Scott County Board policies as well as Tennessee State Law in requiring that students attend school as required by adopted Board policies and TN Code Annotated.

1. Attendance Requirements
a. Each student must achieve a school attendance rate of at least 93%. In order to achieve this goal, we must all work together to ensure that our students attend school every day.
b. Parents should send in a note for all absences documenting the reason their child was absent. No more than five (5) parent or doctor notes each semester, ten (10) total for the year, will be counted as excused.
c. One day will be excused for absences due to death in the family. Additional days may be excused at the discretion of the principal. With appropriate documentation, absence(s) due to the death of non family members may be approved by the principal as excused.
d. Excuses for absences must be submitted within five (5) school days after the student returns to school.
e. When a student leaves school early, he/she will be counted absent for the remaining classes. This time will accumulate toward the total days absent during the year.
f. When instructional time missed because of tardiness and/or early dismissals accumulates (on the computer) into one (1) full day, even though the absences may be excused, a student will not be awarded or recognized for perfect attendance.
g. Only two (2) days per occurrence can be excused for absences because of a lice infestation.
h. If a student does not attend a field trip, he/she is required to attend school or be marked absent for the day.
i. Parents or guardians may not pick up other students from school without written permission from the parent or guardian of the 14 student being picked up.
j. Students participating in school sponsored activities, whether on or off campus, shall not be counted absent.

ATTENDANCE LAW (TCA 49-6-3009) An attendance aide, hired by the Scott County Board of Education, is required to call parents on a daily basis to check on students who are absent from school. A letter explaining the Attendance Law is automatically generated to parents when a student has total of five (5) unexcused absences and also after each successive five (5) day period of unexcused absences. Students must bring an excuse when they return to school after being absent. No more than five (5) parent notes each semester, ten (10) total, will be accepted for absences during the year. At the discretion of the judge, the parent or legal guardians of children who have more than five (5) unexcused absences may be assessed a fine of up to $50 or five (5) hours of community service. (TCA 49-5-30)

Promotion and Retention Due to Absences
For students in grades Kindergarten through eighth grade the following rules apply: Students having absences or accumulated time, tardy, and sign-outs of 15 or more days may be retained in their present grade level or required to attend after school tutoring and/or summer school to make up work missed. After a student has accumulated a total of 15 absences, (including both excused and unexcused) an attendance committee appointed by the principal will conduct a hearing to determine if any extenuating circumstances exist or to verify that the student has met attendance requirements that will allow him/her to pass the course or be promoted. The principal shall be responsible for notifying, in writing, the director of schools, the attendance supervisor, and the parents of the student of any action taken by the school. For students in high school, students having absences or accumulated time, tardy, and sign-outs of more than 12 unexcused days (6 per semester) may be retained in their present grade level, or required to attend after school tutoring and/or summer school to make up work missed. Any administrative decision regarding attendance may be appealed initially to the director of schools and ultimately to the Board. The appeal shall be made in writing to the director of schools within five (5) days following the action, or the report of the action, whichever is later. 2. Attendance School Day: Since supervision is not provided prior to 7:30 a.m., no student shall be dropped off at school before this time; no teacher or administrator will be responsible or held legally liable for a student until 7:30 a.m.