State Attendance Rule 160-5-1-10 states that students will be excused from school under the following circumstances:

1. Personal illness or attendance at school endangers a student's health or the health of others.

2.  A serious illness or death in a student's immediate family necessitates an absence from school.

3. A court order or an order by a governmental agency, including pre-induction physical examinations for service in the armed forces, mandating absence from school.

4. Observing religious holidays, necessitating absence from school.

5. Conditions rendering attendance impossible or hazardous to student health or safety.
**Note: This decision is made only by Dr. Calvin Watts, Superintendent of Gwinnett County Public Schools.

6. 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.

7. 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 (maximum of five school days per year).

Students must bring a parent/guardian or doctor's note to the front lobby attendance desk within 5 days of returning to school. Absences are unexcused for all other reasons, including but not limited to missing the bus, oversleeping, vacations, car trouble, traffic, or power outage.

Written notification of a pre-arranged check out must be turned in by 7:30 am on the morning of the checkout.  If not using the “Absent/Tardy Form” to notify the school of the pre-arranged absence, the note provided must include ALL of the following information:

• Student’s first and last name
• Student’s school ID number
• Reason for checking out
• Time of check out
• Signature of a parent/guardian listed as a contact in the student information system
• Contact number of parent/guardian listed as a contact in the student information system

**Please Note: All pre-arranged checkouts must be verified with a phone call before a student will be allowed to leave campus. 

In order to maintain a positive learning environment, checks outs are not permitted after 1:30 pm on regular school days.  
Checkouts are not permitted on exam days. 

All students are expected to be in school and/or class on time.  Students are considered tardy after the first-period tardy bell sounds (7:20 am).  Tardies to school are classified as excused or unexcused according to the state guidelines for absences.  Consequences ranging from silent lunch to in-school suspension may be issued when a student is late to school or class more than 6 times in a semester.  After 10 unexcused tardies, medical documentation may be requested to excuse subsequent tardies.  Tardiness to school for medical or court appointments will be classified unexcused until proper documentation is received from the physician or office of the court.

Students arriving late to school must present a note from a parent/guardian stating the date, reason for the late arrival, parent signature, and parent phone number for verification, or the tardy will be classified as unexcused.  Excuse notes should be brought in within 5 days of the tardy.  Students who do not check in and report straight to class are not following directions and will receive a disciplinary consequence.

To document an absence or tardy attendance (pre-arranged or after the event), you may print this form and turn it in at the Attendance desk just inside the front door of the school.  This form will be available in paper form also at:

• Attendance desk
• Front Office
• 9^th and 10^th Grade Student Support Office
• 11^th & 12^th Grade Student Support Office
• Counseling Office 

Absences and tardies to school are noted in the form. If you have additional documents to provide, just attach them to the form. 

Absence/Tardy Form (English)
Absence/Tardy Form (Spanish)

• If a senior must go on a college visit during a school day, the “College Visit Form” should be completed prior to the absence related a college visit.
• The form is completed in parts by teachers and parents prior to the college visit.  During the college visit, a college official will sign the form to validate the senior’s visit.
• The form is turned into at Attendance desk upon return to school.
• In order to avoid falling behind academically, it is recommended that college visits take place during non-school days or weekends.