WEST COLUMBIA, SC – Consider this: Just 2 absences per month means your child has missed 10% of the school year!
September is Attendance Awareness Month. A national Attendance Awareness Campaign is sharing the message that every day a student is in school is an opportunity to learn, build relationships, and access support. Led by Attendance Works and 10 national partners, the campaign urges schools, localities, and states to promote the value of good attendance and to take concrete steps toward reducing chronic absence.
Lexington Two: What To Know About Absences
Occasionally, a child may miss school. Here are some things that Lexington Two parents/guardians should know about absences:
Excused Absences
If absent, a student should present a written excuse signed by a parent/guardian, medical provider, or other official within 3 days.
Excused absences include: Doctor excuses, legal appointments, college visits, bereavement, recognized religious observances, and unusual or mitigating circumstances approved by the principal. School-related absences (field trips, athletics, testing, etc.) are also excused.
Parent notes for lawful absences are limited to 10 days per year.
Unexcused Absences
Parents/Guardians should take note of the daily alerts for unexcused absences, as well as check attendance in PowerSchool weekly. Attendance codes for unexcused absences are:
- SC-UNEX (unexcused/unverified)
- SC-UEPN (unexcused parent note)
- SC-DSML (dismissal without an excuse)
These count toward truancy.
Parent Notes
A parent may write a note for up to 10 lawful absences per school year (such as student illness). Parent notes for unlawful reasons (such as a transportation issue, doctor appointment for a family member, etc.) are considered unexcused absences and count toward truancy.
High School and Course Credit
Students with more than 5 unexcused absences in a semester course and 10 unexcused absences in a year-long course must make up missed seat time within 30 calendar days after the course ends or they will not earn credit for the course. This is considered a Failure due to Attendance (FA).
Read about the South Carolina school attendance policy by clicking this link: https://www.lex2.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=991530&type=d&pREC_ID=1424381