Attendance Policy
ATTENDANCE
COMPULSORY ATTENDANCE
The Kentucky Compulsory Attendance Laws, KRS 159.010 and KRS
159.180, state that the parent/guardian is responsible for keeping
his/her child in regular school attendance.
Valid Reasons for Excused Absences:
1. Illness of pupil
2. Severe Illness in home
3. Death in the family
4. Appointment with a health professional (for student only)
5. Driver's test (A statement from driver's test administrator
must be presented for the student to be excused for a reasonable
amount of time.)
6. Court order (A statement from the court system must be
presented for the student to be excused for a reasonable amount of
time.)
7. One day for the attendance of the Kentucky State Fair
8. Other valid reasons as determined by the principal
Absences Grades K-12
Notes from parents/guardians shall be accepted, and absences
shall be excused for up to six (6) days only for the eight (8)
valid reasons listed above. Illness accompanied by a health
professional's statement will not be counted as one of the six (6)
days.
Procedures for Student Absences
1. Parent/guardian is encouraged to call the school as early as
possible on the day of their child's absence/tardy. If
parents/guardians call before the school office is open, they may
leave a message on the voice mail system. Calling does not exempt
the parent or guardian from sending a note.
2. A student who is absent must bring a note signed by his/her
parent/guardian or a health professional stating the reason for the
absence.
3. A student who is absent must provide a note within a time
period not to exceed five (5) days from the date the student
returns to school or the absence will be unexcused. The
parent/guardian is responsible to ensure that the note is turned in
to the school attendance office. If the note is sent by the
parent/guardian through the student, the parent/guardian is
encouraged to follow-up with the attendance clerk to verify
receipt.
4. A health professional's statement will be accepted for the
student's personal illness only or for a severe illness in the
home.
5. Students on school-sponsored trips are counted present and
are responsible for make-up work.
6. Court appearances are excused if signed by the judge or the
clerk of the court for a reasonable amount of time.
7. Request for an excused absence other than those stated in
this provision of the Code of Acceptable Behavior & Discipline
must be made in advance to the principal.
8. When the school notifies a parent/guardian a student is sick
and should be picked up, absence for the remainder of that day
shall be excused without the necessity of a parent/medical note. In
the event there are subsequent absences a parent/medical note will
be required for those absences to be excused. The school nurse and
the attendance clerk shall communicate regarding these absent
events.
Make-up Work
1. All work missed shall be made up by the student when he/she
is absent from school.
2. Students are responsible for meeting due dates on all
long-term projects or assignments unless an exception is approved
due to an emergency or extenuating circumstances.
3. Students placed on home suspension shall be required to make
up any assignments missed during the suspension.
4. Each Site Based Decision Making (SBDM) council shall adopt a
policy to address credit for missed assignments.
Student Check-out Procedures
1. Students eighteen (18) years or older may check themselves
out; however, the absence may be excused or unexcused as determined
by the building principal or designee. An unexcused check out may
result in a consequence under the Code of Acceptable Behavior &
Discipline for skipping or other applicable offenses as determined
by the building principal.
2. Students checking out for any reason other than the eight (8)
valid reasons for absence will be unexcused, unless special
permission has been granted by the school's administration.
3. A student under the age of eighteen (18) years may only be
checked out of school by the parent/guardian and by adults who have
been listed on the Emergency Contact and Check Out Consent Form.
Photo ID's will be required and any other person checking out a
student.
4. A student who checks out must bring a note signed by his/her
parent/guardian or a health professional stating the reason for the
absence(s).
Lice Policy
Christian County has a "no live lice" policy. If the student has
chronic/reoccurring head lice, any days missed after the first time
the student is sent home will be unexcused. The principal may use
discretion when making a decision concerning absences.
Military Leave
1. Armed Force Day (AFD)
If a student's parent, de facto custodian or other person with
legal custody or control of the student is a member of the United
States Armed Forces, including a member of a state National Guard
or a Reserve component called to federal active duty, a public
school principal shall give the student an excused absence for one
day when the member is deployed and an additional excused absence
for one day when the service member returns from deployment.
2. Armed Forces Rest and Relaxation (AFR) A public school
principal shall give the student excused absences for up to 5 days
for visitation when the member is stationed out of the country and
is granted rest and recuperation leave per Garrison Commander.
Parent(s)/Guardian shall complete the proper documentation prior to
the absence. Documentation shall be on file for students taking an
AFD day(s) and AFR day(s). If no documentation exists, student must
be marked absent.
Educational Enhancement Opportunities (EHO)
KRS 159.035 (s)
A student may be allowed up to ten (10) days per school year to
participate in an educational enhancement opportunity that the
principal determines to be of significant educational value.
Participation in an educational foreign exchange program or an
intensive instructional program in one of the core curriculum
subjects of English, science, mathematics, social studies, foreign
language or the arts could be considered an educational enhancement
opportunity. Days on which students have been approved by the
principal to participate in such an opportunity will be included in
aggregate daily attendance. During an Attendance Review, Kentucky
Department of Education (KDE) staff will request documentation of
the principal approval of EHO days.
