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School Arrival and Dismissal

attendance policy for high schools

PARENTAL RELEASE FORM

If a parent/guardian wishes for his or her child to be checked out by someone other than a parent or grandparent, the office must have on file a parental release form. The parent/guardian must appear in person to sign this form in the presence of an employee of MCHS. The form must be on file 24 hours in advance of the first check out by a designated person listed on the form. People listed on the form must be at least 18 years of age or older and cannot be a current high school student. The form is good for the duration of a student’s attendance at MCHS. For the safety and protection of our students, NO EXCEPTIONS will be made to this policy. Please do not call the school to ask if someone not listed on the form can check out your child as we will not be able to honor this request. Sample form at the back of the handbook.

 

ATTENDANCE

GENERAL PROVISIONS FOR THE ATTENDANCE POLICY

  1. Absences described in the policy are to take care of:
    1. a personal illness
    2. professional appointments that could not be scheduled outside of a regular school day
    3. other serious or personal problems
  2. School sponsored or sanctioned activities will not count toward total absences.
  3. Principals and their staff will contact parents whenever illegal or suspicious absences occur.  The principal may send a referral for investigation and/or home visits to the Supervisor of Child Welfare and Attendance.
  4. The St. Mary Parish School Board Office of Special Education provides Homebound Instruction to pupils who have health problems requiring them to miss school for at least ten (10) days.
  5. (See Homebound Policy)
  6. A student suspended (out of school) for disciplinary reasons will have those days charged against the total number of absences.
  7. It is extremely important that students and parents realize and understand that days of absence built into the attendance policy are not to be used as skip days, but rather they should be used only as indicated in this policy.
  8. All students enrolled in alternative to regular placement will adhere to the same attendance policy as regular students.
  9. A student will not be allowed to leave school early unless a parent or guardian personally signs the student out of the office. NO EXCEPTIONS WILL BE MADE TO THIS POLICY!
  10. A check out will count as an absence.  In case of extenuating circumstances parents may appeal to the principal.

               

TARDINESS

A student shall be considered tardy to class if the student is not in the classroom when the bell to begin class ceases.             

 

The following procedure is to ensure the enforcement of tardiness regulations including punishment for the violations in making both students and parents accountable for their action.

Senior High School students (grades 9-12) tardies are as follows:

  1. (Tardies at the senior high level accumulate across all classes and start over at the beginning of each semester)
  2. When a student receives their first tardy the Administration shall warn the student of the consequences of future tardies.   (This is a recorded referral.)
  3. When a student receives a second tardy, he/she will be assigned two (2) hours of detention in the Student ASAC Center.  For all subsequent tardies the student will be assigned four (4) hours in SAC.  On the sixth tardy, parents will be notified for a conference with the principal/assistant principal, which must be held before the student may continue in school, in addition to the four hours in SAC.  Four (4) hours of SAC will be assigned for all tardies after six (6).
  4. All late arriving students must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Students will be marked absent from school until a parent or guardian signs that student “In” for the day.

Extenuating circumstances presented at a parent conference may be given consideration by the administration and teacher to extend the limit. Students with habitual tardiness may be recommended for a hearing.

NOTE:    NO STUDENT WHO IS TARDY TO SCHOOL MAY BE ADMITTED TO CLASS IN HOMEROOM UNLESS THEY HAVE A CHECK-IN SLIP FROM THE FRONT OFFICE.

 

CHECKING OUT

A student will not be allowed to leave school early unless a parent/guardian, grandparent, or someone listed on “Parental Release Form” personally signs the student out of the office. This includes medical appointments.  People listed on the “Parental Release Form” must be 18 years of age or older and cannot be a high school student. A checkout will count as an absence.

 

Once in school, a student is expected to remain on campus. If an illness makes it necessary for a student to leave school, the following procedure will be used:

  1. A checkout slip should be obtained from the teacher and filled out completely.
  2. No student checking out will be permitted to carry the checkout slip to the office.  Another student, designated by the teacher, will bring the checkout slip to the office.
  3. The office secretaries will contact parents.
  4. Students will be dismissed upon arrival of parents.
  5. Morgan City High School students are not allowed to check themselves out, regardless of age, unless they have been legally emancipated.

 

Attendance Policies

All students are expected to attend school regularly and be on time for classes in order to benefit from the instructional program and develop habits of punctuality, self-discipline, and responsibility.  There is a direct relationship between poor attendance and class failure.  Students who have good attendance generally achieve higher grades, enjoy school more and are much more employable after leaving school.

Students in Grades 9-12 are required to be present a minimum of one hundred sixty-seven (167) days per school year to receive credit in all full credit courses.  

Parents are encouraged to submit documentation for any absence that may be considered excused (student illness, serious illness in family, etc.) to avoid accumulating unexcused absences. The school is required by policy to take specific actions based on the number of unexcused absences.

  • 1st Notice: When a student accumulates three (3) days of unexcused absences, it is required that the parent contact the school administrator for a mandatory conference.
  • 2nd Notice: When a student accumulates five (5) days of unexcused absences, the student is in danger of failing for the year. It is required that the parent attend a mandatory conference with the school administrator. Your child will be referred to the District Attorney's FINS Program. The parent shall be fined no more than fifty ($50.00) dollars or perform not less than twenty-five (25) hours of community service.
  • 3rd Notice: When a student accumulates eight (8) days of unexcused absences, the student is in danger of failing for the year. The principal shall send a request for assistance letter to the Child Welfare and Attendance Office. Your child will be referred to the District Attorney’s FINS or Juvenile Court.
  • 4th Notice: When a student accumulates ten (10) days of unexcused absences, the next unexcused absence will result in the student failing for the year. It is required that the parent attend a mandatory conference with the school administrator. Recommendations will be made for Juvenile Court or FINS Court Referral for any days over ten (10) days that are not extenuating circumstances. The Principal shall send a request for assistance letter to the Child Welfare and Attendance Office.

Additional information on attendance policies can be found in A Guide for St. Mary Parish Schools under Student Code of Conduct | Attendance (A Guide for SMP Schools / Attendance (stmaryk12.net)