High School Attendance

Unexcused Absences:  Absences by consent of the parent or with the parent’s knowledge for a reason not acceptable to the school or absences that are not followed by written documentation from the parent or doctor.  Unexcused absences may receive no credit for schoolwork.  Examples could include:  music lessons, hair appointments, oversleeping, traffic delays, Drivers Ed appointments, etc.

Habitually Truant: A student who is absent

• 30 or more consecutive hours without a legitimate excuse

• 42 or more hours in one month without a legitimate excuse

• 72 or more hours in one year without a legitimate excuse

Excessively Absent: A student who is absent WITH OR WITHOUT A LEGITIMATE EXCUSE

• 38 or more hours in one school month

• 65 or more hours in one school year

Students are permitted to go on vacation during the school year without academic penalty (except the week ending each semester). The purpose of this administrative guideline is to accommodate parents who must take their vacations during the school year because of company (industry) policies and the desire to enjoy that time as a family. 

A.  Whenever a proposed absence-for-vacation is requested, parents must discuss it with the principal or his/her designee. The length of absence should be made clear, and those involved should have an opportunity to express their views on the potential effects of the absence. 

B.  The student may be given approximate assignments and materials and pages to be completed. 

C.  The time missed will be counted as an unexcused absence under HB410, but shall not be a factor in determining grades unless make-up work is not completed. If lengthy, time missed may cause the student to become  “Habitually Truant” under the HB410 attendance law

State law requires districts with a chronic absenteeism rate above 5% to establish an Absence Intervention Team for students who are habitually truant. The team will establish a student-centered absence intervention plan by identifying barriers to attendance and solutions.

Membership of each team could vary based on the needs of each individual student, but must include: 

1. A representative of the school or district. 
2. Another representative from the school or district who has a relationship with the student. 
3. The student’s parent/guardian.

The Absence Intervention Team may also include: 

1. The school psychologist, counselor or Mental Health Specialist..
2. Representatives from a public or non-profit agency. 
3. A case worker from Children Services if there is an open case or if the student is in foster care.

Dublin City Schools recognizes the need for individualized opportunities to customize a student’s schedule to meet their unique learning goals. Early Release & Late Arrival is an opportunity to support this and is seen as a privilege with requirements. Students must complete and submit the Early Release & Late Arrival Form to their counselor. Any student not passing, or at risk of not passing, a required course may not be permitted to leave school early under the Early Release & Late Arrival program. That student may be assigned to an intervention period until the report card shows a passing grade.

Scheduled Late Arrival and Early Release is a privilege for seniors who are on track to graduate. Seniors can select both early release and late arrival if they are meeting all other grad requirements and minimum caseload requirements. Late arrival and early release may not both be available to a student, depending upon their course requests.

Late Arrival and Early Release should not be added to student schedules when students drop courses in the fall unless the student is a senior and meets the requirements above for course load.

Juniors will not use early release or late arrival in the scheduling request process

Failure to attend an assigned class/homeroom without permission is considered truancy and will result in disciplinary action. Such failure to attend class/homeroom/school-related activity will also result in an absence under the attendance policy and will be an unauthorized, unexcused absence.  Truancy may result in loss of parking/driving privileges.

Students participating in any extracurricular activities must attend school during the day to participate in any event.  Students who are absent from school for more than one-half day on the day of a game, match or event will not be permitted to participate.  This policy does not apply to activities which occur on a weekend or on a day when school is not in session.

When a student arrives late to school (up to 1.5 hours), they will be considered tardy. Tardiness for reasons other than those listed as excused will be considered unexcused. Students who are tardy must report directly to the office to sign in and get a pass to class.  Continual tardiness to school may result in disciplinary action on the third infraction of each quarter.

Failure to sign into the attendance office may result in disciplinary action. Tardies to school may result in loss of driving/parking privileges.

Students are responsible for arriving promptly to every class.  Students who are tardy will be admitted to class and marked late.  Those with valid passes will be excused.

Students who arrive tardy will be subject to disciplinary action in accordance with the school policy administered by the teacher.  Continual or persistent tardiness will be brought to the attention of the appropriate administrator.  Class tardiness may result in loss of privileges.

The preferred method of notifying the school of an early dismissal is through the Campus Parent App or the parent portal in Infinite Campus. The second preferred method is email. Students must sign out at the office and must also sign in when they return.

Failure to comply will result in disciplinary action and loss of privileges.

It is the district’s policy to permit juniors and seniors planning to go on to college to have leave from normal school classes in order to visit colleges they anticipate attending.  Arrangements for such visitations must be made well in advance to ensure that permission is granted for an excused absence.

The following procedure must be completed prior to permission being granted:

1. Seniors have no more than three (3) college visitation days that are to be used during the first three quarters of the school year.

2. Juniors have no more than two (2) college visitation days that are to be used during the last two quarters of the school year.

3. The student must complete a form, which can be obtained from the attendance office.

4. All requests should be submitted a minimum of two (2) school days prior to the visitation.

5. No requests will be honored two (2) school days prior to and/or after a school vacation or holiday.

Upon returning to school, a student must provide written verification of their visit from the college admissions office.

High school sophomores and juniors are permitted to leave from normal school classes to shadow individuals who are employed in career areas that are of interest to students.  Arrangements for such experiences should be made well in advance to ensure that permission is granted.  The following procedure must be completed prior to permission being granted:

1. Sophomores, juniors and seniors have up to two (2) days each year to shadow a community professional.  Students may use the community resources file in the Guidance Information Center to select a resource person or they may use their personal resources to identify a professional.

2. The student must complete a form, which can be obtained from the guidance office.

3. The request form must be returned to the appropriate school counselor who then submits the form to the attendance office.

4. All requests should be approved a minimum of two (2) school days prior the visitation.

5. No requests will be honored three (3) school days prior to and/or after a school vacation or holiday.

Assignments and class work missed because of absences shall be made up within a period of time equal to the same amount of time of absences.  An exception to this would be when a major assignment has been announced prior to the student’s absence, in which case the student would be expected to submit the assignment upon returning to school.  When a test is missed, the student should either make-up the test or make appropriate arrangements with the teacher upon returning to school.

1. Excused absences shall receive up to 100% credit for makeup work.  An absence will not be considered excused until written notification of the absence has been provided to the attendance office. 
2. Unexcused absences and truancies could receive less credit for makeup work.  
3. Students who fail to complete makeup work in the allotted time will be assigned a failing grade for the assigned work.
4. Students who are on out-of-school suspensions are eligible to make up work for 100% of the credit for daily work missed as a result of the suspension.

Attendance for Emerald Campus runs through the home school attendance office and follows similar district protocols and procedures.  Similar to the home school, failure to attend an assigned class/homeroom without permission is considered truancy and will result in disciplinary action. Procedures:

• If a student is absent from school, a parent must call or email the home school attendance office within one hour of the start of the school day to report his/her child’s absence from school.

• Tardy/Late to school: If a student arrives late to Emerald Campus, they have to sign in at the Emerald Campus school front desk. A class admittance pass will be issued, and the teacher will allow students to enter class.

• Leaving Early: If a student needs to leave Emerald Campus while scheduled to be there, a request in writing must be made in writing by a parent or guardian. All such requests should be given to the attendance office prior to the first period class. The note should be sent to the home school attendance office or can be given to the Emerald Campus attendance office if that is the location of the first period class

  1. Prior to leaving the building or school property, students must sign out in the attendance office. Students returning during the day must also sign in when they return. Failure to comply will result in disciplinary action and loss of privileges.

• Any notes or emails provided to the Emerald Campus attendance office will be sent to the home school. The home high school attendance office will maintain all official student records.

• When students are absent or arrive late, students should also submit a signed note from a parent or guardian with the reason to the home school attendance office. If this is turned into Emerald Campus, the note will be sent to the home school to be put in the student’s file.