State Attendance Law

Attendance at school is an important part of student success and achievement. A pattern of absences may put a student at risk of not achieving the Academic Knowledge and Skills (AKS) for their grade level and courses. Certain absences are excused according to state guidelines. Excused absences include:

    •    Personal illness or attendance in school endangering a student’s health or the health of others

    •    A serious illness or death in a student’s immediate family requiring absence from school

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

    •    Observing religious holidays, necessitating absence from school

    •    Conditions making attendance impossible or hazardous to student health or safety

    •    Serving as a page in the Georgia General Assembly

    •    A student, whose parent or legal guardian is in military service of the United States or the National Guard, and such parent or legal guardian has been called to duty for or is on leave from overseas deployment to a combat zone or combat support posting, shall be granted excused absences, up to a maximum of five school days per year, for the day or days missed from school to visit with  his or her parent or legal guardian prior to deployment or while on leave


*Please remember that if your student is absent from school, parents or guardians need to send a note to the school stating the reason for his/her absence. Should the reason be one noted above, your child’s absence will be marked excused.  
*After 10 absences without a medical note being submitted, a medical note may be requested to excuse an absence.
*All attendance excuses must be turned in within five days of the absence. The school will not accept late attendance excuses.

It is important for parents to be aware of attendance requirements. Please read Gwinnett County Public Schools’ Student/Parent Handbook, which outlines attendance expectations. In addition, our teachers and school leadership will communicate with you regularly on school attendance issues.

An attendance letter will be sent home when their child accumulates 5, 7 and 10 unexcused absences.  When a student reaches 10 unexcused absences the parents or guardians will be invited to attend a Student Attendance Review Committee (SARC meeting).  When a student accumulates an excessive number of unexcused absences the family may be referred to a community agency for additional support. 
 
Sincerely,
Summerour Professional School Counselors