Attendance Policy

Students who are age six on or before February 1 of that school year must attend school every school day of the  180-day school year until their 16th 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) 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) We expect our students to demonstrate excellent attendance. 

Please make every effort to have your child attend school and arrive on time. 

The instructional day for students begins at 8:00am and ends at 3:00pm for all 6^th-8^th grade students.  Students must be in their classroom, ready to learn at the start of the instructional day. 

Tardiness 

Any student arriving after the start of the instructional day will be issued a late pass and marked tardy.  

• After ten unexcused tardies, the student will be issued a referral form that will be placed   in the student’s permanent record. (Receiving any 3 referrals a school year will impede a student from   registering the following year.) 
• An excused tardy will only be given if the child has a doctor’s note.  

Absences  

• Parents are to contact the office if their child is going to be absent.  
• On the day he/she returns to school, parents must send a handwritten note explaining the reason for their child’s absence.  
• A maximum of 5 handwritten notes will be accepted per school year. After 5 handwritten notes, a School Based Team (SBT) referral will be issued.  
• For every five unexcused absences, the student will receive a School Based Team referral. Students may not exceed more than 10 unexcused absences per school year.  
• An excessive amount of absences may result in a student from registering the following year and will result in a referral to the district truancy officer.  

Make-up Work 

Make-up work and homework must be completed within 24 hours (per missed day) after returning to school. All assignments must be made-up or the student will be issued an incomplete. Incomplete assignments may affect the student’s final grade. It is the parent’s and student’s responsibility to contact the teacher regarding any missed assignments. If a student anticipates being absent for more than two consecutive days, it is the parent’s responsibility to contact the school and pick-up any class work/homework from the teacher.  

1. Reasonable Excuses for Time Missed at School
2. Personal illness of the student (medical evidence may be required by the principal for absences exceeding 5 consecutive days). The written statement must include all the days the student has been absent from school. If a student is continually ill and repeatedly absent from school due to a specific medical condition, he/she must be under the supervision of a health care provider in order to receive excused absences from school.
3. Court appearance of the student, subpoena by law enforcement agency, or mandatory court appearance.
4. Absence due to a medical appointment requires a written statement from a health care provider indicating the date and time of the appointment and submitted to the principal.
5. An approved school activity (absences recorded but not reported).
6. Other absences with prior approval from the principal. 6. Attendance at a center under the supervision of the Department of Children and Families.
7. Significant community events with prior permission from the principal. When more than one school is involved, the Region Superintendent determines the absence status.
8. Observance of a religious holiday or service when it is mandated for all members of a faith that such a holiday or service be observed.
9. Military Connected Students – M-DCPS is committed to assist students from military families and will continue to facilitate the development and implementation of policies that directly impact on children of military personnel. To ease the burden of our students who have parents that may be deployed or on “Block Leave,” schools will allow up to a total of 5 days of excused absences each academic year to allow families time together.

10.Death in the immediate family.

11.School sponsored event or educational enrichment activity that is not a school-sponsored event, as determined by the principal. The student must obtain advance written permission from the principal. Examples of special events include public functions, conferences, and regional, state, and national competitions.

12.Outdoor suspension.

13.Individual student absences beyond the control of the parent or student, as determined and approved by the principal. The principal

14.shall require documentation related to the situation.

1. Unexcused School Absence Due To:
2. vacations, personal services, local non-school event, program, or sporting activity;
3. older students providing day care services for siblings.
4. illness of others; and
5. non-compliance of immunization requirements unless lawfully exempted.

Absences not included in the excused absences listed above shall be considered unexcused. Student absences will be marked as unexcused until the required documentation is submitted. Failure to provide the required documentation within three school days upon the return to school will result in an unexcused absence.

A student accumulating ten (10) or more class unexcused absences in an annual course or five (5) or more class unexcused absences in a designated semester course may have quarterly, semester, and final grade(s) withheld pending an administrative screening and completion of assigned interventions by the Attendance Review Committee.

Unexcused absences shall not be grounds for suspension from school, but may result in detention, intervention strategies, or placement in alternative programs. Any student who fails to attend a regularly scheduled class and has a “no excuse” for the absence should be referred to the appropriate administrator. Disciplinary action should include notification to parents.

Chronic truancy or deliberate nonattendance more than fifteen (15) consecutive school days within a ninety-day (90) calendar period will be sufficient grounds for withdrawal of students sixteen (16) years of age or older, who are subject to compulsory school attendance under Florida Statute Section 1003.21.

EARLY DISMISSAL

• Parents/guardians must come to the reception area to request early dismissal.
• Parents/guardians must present picture identification which must be consistent with the information on the Emergency Contact Card; after a student’s 5th early dismissal, a doctor’s note will be required for make-up work to be provided.
• No student will be released after 2:30 p.m.
• Early dismissal will count as absences and will affect the student’s attendance record for the missed classes.
• A parent/guardian must come in person to add or delete names to the Emergency Contact Card.
• No one under the age of 21 may sign out any students. 

SEVERE CLAUSE VIOLATION

In a severe clause violation of the Student Code of Conduct or any other school policies and procedures, the parent/guardian will pick up the student. Any infraction within the Severe Clause will result in further administrative action. Severe violations include, but are not limited to: fighting, profanity, stealing, defiance of school personnel, assault upon a staff member, continuous disruptive behavior, any threats or intimidations any posting of videos or pictures pertaining to Somerset Academy’s students or faculty, as well as possession and/or use of drugs, tobacco, electronic cigarettes (vapes), alcohol, and weapons.