ATTENDANCE
A parent, guardian, or other person having charge of any child officially enrolled in Alabama public schools (K-12) shall explain in writing the cause of any and every absence of the child no later than three (3) school days following return to school. A failure to provide an approved excuse shall be evidence of the child being truant for each day of the absence.
NOTE: Only five parent excuses will be accepted for the entire school year. A doctor’s excuse is required after the fifth absence. This includes check ins/checkouts if the student misses more than 50% of the day.
1st and 3rd Unexcused absence- Parent Notification via email.
5 Unexcused absences- Attend scheduled early warning meeting with Attendance Officer.
7 Unexcused absences- May file court complaint/petition against the child and/or parent/guardian.
"In a sign of how far and wide the nation’s chronic absenteeism crisis spans, the states are located across the U.S. and are led by both Republican and Democratic governors."
Article by Mary Claire Wooten
Alabama Political Reporter
Health Guidance for Going to School
Click here for symptom guidance to know when your child is safe to return to school.
Showing up to school every day is critical for children’s well-being, engagement and learning.
Make sure to send children to school if they are:
Generally healthy and well.
Participating in usual day-to-day activities.
Children can even go to school if they:
Have a mild cold, which may include a runny nose and/or cough.
Have eye drainage without fever, eye pain or eyelid redness.
Have a mild stomach ache.
Have a mild rash with no other symptoms.
Have head lice. Though they are annoying and should be treated, lice are not a reason to exclude a child from school.
Haven’t had a fever overnight and they have not taken fever-reducing medicine during that time.
Avoid keeping children at home unless they are too sick to participate.
NOTE: Each student is allowed 5 days of parent excuses per year. A care physicians note will be required once these 5 days of parent excuses are used for the absence to be marked unexcused. (Please provide the written excuse to the school no later than 3 days of returning from any absence.)
Help is HERE!
If your child is experiencing anxiety as explained in this article, TCS CAN HELP!
Contact your school's Guidance Counselor our Mental Health Services Coordinator, Mrs. Jen Bafford for support.
Helping Families Initiative (HFI)
What is HFI?
Helping students with truancy and/or disciplinary problems build productive futures while improving the safety and learning environments for all.
The Helping Families Initiative (HFI) is an early intervention, crime-prevention program that seeks to provide a supportive approach to solving truancy issues and/or problematic behaviors, identify root causes, and provide wrap-around services for students and their families by linking them with local resources to address their needs.
Our goal is to improve student success, graduation rates, and family functioning, all while reducing dropout rates, juvenile arrests, and improving the safety and learning environments for all.
HFI is a program of the Office of District Attorney CJ Robinson 19th Judicial Circuit, with the collaborative efforts and partnerships of the Autauga County School System, Chilton County School System, Elmore County School System, and Tallassee City School System, the Alabama Legislature, and Volunteers of America-Southeast.
ARTICLE: We will hold parents accountable': Birmingham mayor addresses unexcused absences in schools