no Attendance Guidelines

 

The Attendance Office phone: 727-774-9203

 

Report an excused absence
Prearrange an absence
Parent portal to check attendance

 

School attendance and active participation in class are extremely important to learning and success and making good grades. Each teacher shall establish a set policy for make-up work and a grading system and shall submit a written description of his/her grading system to the principal and students at the beginning of the course.

 

  1. Procedures for Checking In or Out of School
    Students need to arrive on time and stay through dismissal so they will receive important directions, class instruction and avoid disrupting other students. Parents can set a good example by encouraging students to follow the school’s time schedule. (Code of Conduct of Pasco County Schools)
  2. Students who come to campus late or need to leave campus early MUST provide parental permission.
    Procedure for checking IN to school:

 

  • Students should report to Student Services upon arriving at school.
  • Students should provide documentation for excuse of tardiness. Determination of the type of absence will be done by the Attendance Secretary.
  • An excused/unexcused tardy pass will be issued by Student Services.
  • Student should give pass to teacher when they get to the classroom.

 

Procedures for checking OUT of school:

 

  • No students will be dismissed after 2:15pm.
  • Students are checked out at Student Services. ID must be shown when checking out a student.
  • Students who drive themselves MUST provide parental permission in the form of a note with a contact phone number to the Attendance Secretary no later than 11:00AM.
  • A check out pass will be issued by the Attendance Secretary with the time and date of early release.
  • Students should present this pass to their teachers at the time of release.

 

  1. Rules of School Attendance

 

It is the belief of the District School Board of Pasco County that academic success requires continuity of instruction and active classroom participation. Attendance shall be required of all students enrolled in the schools during the days and hours that the school is in session. School attendance shall be the responsibility of parents and students.(Code of Conduct of Pasco County Schools)  

 

The following are acceptable reasons for a student’s absences from class:

 

  • Illness of student
  • Major illness in the immediate family of the student (immediate family is determined as parents, brothers, sisters, grandparents, aunts, uncles, legal guardians or persons “in loco parentis,” or a member of one’s own household.)
  • Death in the immediate family of the student.
  • Religious holiday of the student’s faith (including Yom Kippur, Rosh Hashanah, Epiphany, etc.)
  • Religious instruction (including Bar/Bat Mitzvah, Confirmation, etc.)
  • Religious institutes, conferences, or workshops, provided that the principal or designee approves the absence in advance.
  • Absences for trips or other parental requests. Requests must be approved at least one (1) week in advance. 
  • In-school or out-of-school suspension.
  • Subpoena or forced absence by any law enforcement agency. A copy of the subpoena or court summons must be submitted to the school.
  • Issues and occasions specific to military families.

 

  For purposes of attendance, school related activities and testing will not be counted as absences from school.

 

  1. To Report an Absence

 

All students who are absent will be marked “unexcused” (U) until the parent/guardian notifies the school in writing or through the website and justifies the absence with one of the acceptable reasons as defined in Section 2. Parents should notify the school of a student’s absence and the reason for the absence with the appropriate note within three (3) school days of a student’s return to school. The form to report an excused absence can be found at https://jwmhs.pasco.k12.fl.us/mform/view.php?id=12087. Types of appropriate notes include parent notes, doctor notes or court paperwork.

 

  1. Make-up Work

 

Students may make up any and all assignments, tests or related work assigned on the day(s) of any excused or unexcused absence at full credit. The student is responsible for asking the teacher(s) for make-up tests, assignments and related work. Students will be given a minimum of two (2) calendar days per day or period of absence to make up all tests, assignments and related work. Students may be given additional time as stipulated on their IEP or based on teacher discretion. Work due to be turned in on the day of the absence will be turned in upon return and be given full credit. Students who have been assigned out-of-school suspension (OSS) may make up all tests, assignments and related work for full credit. (Code of Conduct of Pasco County Schools)

 

  1. Unexcused Absences, School Related Activities and Parking

 

At the secondary level, attendance is marked per period. If a student has five unexcused absences, or absences for which the reasons are unknown, in any one course within a calendar month or ten unexcused absences or absences for which the reasons are unknown, in any one course within a semester, the student may lose privileges as follows:
They may be excluded from attendance reward incentives as defined at the school level.
•Lose the privilege of participating in extracurricular activities. These include but are not limited to dances, special events, club activities and athletics, until the end of the following grading quarter. Absences accumulated in the fourth quarter will result in loss of privileges during said grading quarter only and will not carry over to the following year.
•Lose of privilege to drive to campus until the end of the following grading quarter. Absences accumulated in the fourth quarter will result in loss of privileges during said grading quarter only and will not carry over to the following year.

The principal or designee may review extenuating circumstances brought forth by a parent/guardian. The principal’s decision is final.  

Students must be present for the majority of the school day to participate in extracurricular activities unless otherwise approved by school administration. These include but are not limited to dances, special events, club activities and athletics.  (Code of Conduct of Pasco County Schools)  
Driver License Penalty – Students who accumulate fifteen (15) unexcused absences or absences for which the reasons are unknown, in a period of ninety (90) calendar days may face suspension of their driver license or, for students who are under the age sixteen (16), having their application for licensure denied. Please see section of Florida Driver License Law (F.S. 322.091)

 

  1. Referrals for Intervention and Support

 

If the initial parent/guardian meeting/contact does not resolve the problem and the person responsible for all non-attendance determines that an early pattern of non-attendance is developing, interventions that best address the problem will be developed. The interventions may include but need not be limited to:

  • Attendance agreements.
  • Referral to the school based intervention team.

If the attendance agreements and the referral to the school based intervention team are not successful, then a referral to the school social worker is initiated. Once referred to the school social worker, a student and/or parent may be referred to the Office of the State Attorney’s Truancy Intervention Program (TIP) or the Children in Need of Services/Families in Need of Services (CINS/FINS).  (Code of Conduct of Pasco County Schools) 

Truancy Prosecution – The Truancy Intervention Program (TIP) may prosecute through the State Attorney’s Office (SAO) via the school attendance statute. A truancy referral through Youth and Family Alternatives (YFA) may also lead to prosecution via the CNS statute. (F.S. 1003.12, F.S. 984.03).  (Code of Conduct of Pasco County Schools)  

 

  1. Public Assistance Penalty
    Truancy may impact public assistance the family receives through the LearnFare program.