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ATTENDANCE
Policy 5.09
(policy is currently under review and is subject to change)
Students who are age six (6) on or before February 1 of that school year must attend school every school day of the
th
180-day school year until their 16 birthday unless an exception exists. F.S. § 1003.21(1) and F.S. § 1003.24 establishes
that the parent of the child of compulsory age is responsible for the child’s daily school attendance. (SBER 6A-1.09513)
School staff, parents, students, and appropriate state agencies are expected to work together to ensure that all applicable
school attendance laws are obeyed, including, but not limited to, referral to the state-designated agency for possible court
action for truancy. Schools keep student attendance records per SBER 6A-1.044. Family vacations are not excused
absences. (P-5.09) Every student must have a Certificate of Immunization on file with the Florida Department of Health
Immunization Registry (Florida SHOTS) unless the student’s parents have signed an FDOH approved Florida SHOTS
Notification and Opt Out Form (DH 1478). Students who have not been immunized from a communicable disease as
required by F.S. § 1003.22, should not be allowed to attend school, absent a specific exemption. In order to return to
school, parents must obtain a doctor’s note stating that the student is no longer contagious or proof of immunization, as
applicable. (P-5.06)
Time of School Arrival and Pick-Up
For student safety, parents must ensure that their children do not arrive at school until the official starting time and do
not remain on school grounds after official closing time, as supervision is not provided. Check with your child’s school
office to see if before school or after school child care is available. School-Age Child Care (SACC) programs (P-8.131) and
Middle School After School programs provide a structured, safe, and enriching program at a nominal fee.
Student Rights
Students have the right to:
▪ know how school policy defines and handles excused absences, unexcused absences, and tardiness;
▪ ask that a penalty for an unexcused absence be reviewed;
▪ make-up work missed during absence; and
▪ be protected from exposure to communicable diseases and infestations when in school.
Student Responsibilities
Students have a responsibility to:
▪ attend classes and be on time;
▪ ask their parents to notify the school when they are absent; and
▪ ask teachers for, and to complete, make-up assignments.
Absences
Parental Notification of Absence to School. Parents and guardians are responsible for notifying the school when a child
will be absent and for informing the school of the reason for the absence within twenty-four (24) hours. If notification is
not provided prior to the absence, the parent or guardian shall be required to notify the school of the cause of absence
upon the student’s return to school.
Absenteeism, excused or unexcused, regardless of the reason, negatively affects the continuity of the learning process. As
a student’s absenteeism increases, there is a greater responsibility for the school to deter future absenteeism, and there
is a greater responsibility for the student to demonstrate that such absenteeism has not negatively affected performance
mastery.
FY24 Student and Family Handbook 7 | Page