Attendance Policy

Students are required to be on time for school.  It is the responsibility of parents or guardians to make sure that their children arrive on time each day.  Any time that a student is absent, the parent or guardian must send a written note to school explaining the absence.  A note from the parent or guardian meets the following state guidelines:  illness, death in the immediate family, inclement weather (as determined by the principal) which would be dangerous to life and health of the child, legal quarantine, emergency conditions as determined by the principal, and prior permission of the principal and consent of the parent or guardian.  The note or doctor's excuse must be sent to school within three (3) days of the student's return to school to be counted as an excused absence.

Absences for family vacations are strongly discouraged and may result in an excused absence.  An excused absence will not be granted unless the parent obtains prior permission from the principal.  Excusing an absence in this case is at the sole discretion of the school principal, regardless of whether or not a siblings' absence at another school was excused. 

The principal will NOT excuse any trips or vacations two weeks before End of Quarter tests or during 4th quarter (preparation for state testing).

Parents or guardians of any student having a chronic ailment that may cause the child to miss school during the year are required to provide the school with a clinical or doctor's statement verifying the child's condition.    Failure of parent/guardian to provide the school with a chronic ailment statement can result in unexcused absence accumulation, and a referral to Juvenile Court.  Parents or guardians of a student who is absent eight (8) or more times must present a clinical or doctor's excuse to the school in order for the absence to be excused. 

 Please refer to the MCPSS Student Handbook and Code of Conduct for specific policies.