Attendance

Regular attendance is a key factor in a child's academic success. Regular attendance is when a student attends more than 95% of the academic school year; this may include up to 8 absences in a 180-day school year.

The Florida Legislature finds the association with poor academic performance and nonattendance to be so important that each school district must take an active role in promoting attendance as a means of improving student performance. The State also finds that early interventions are the most effective way of producing good attendance habits that will lead to improved student learning and achievement.

Report An Absence

Report an Absence

Each parent/guardian of a child within compulsory attendance age is responsible for their child's school attendance. When a child must be absent, the parent must report the reason for absence to the school's Attendance Manager.

To report the reason for your child's absence, the District offers three options:

Option 1: Online Absence Form

Option 2: Attendance Hotline

Locate the Attendance Hotline phone number on the “Report an Absence” page.

Call the School’s Attendance Hotline number.

Leave a detailed message that includes the student’s name, student ID or birthdate, grade level, reason for absence(s) and date(s) of absence(s).

You can check the status of your child’s attendance report via Pinnacle 24-48 hours after reporting it to the school’s Attendance Manager.

Option 3: Note for the Attendance Manager

A written note can be delivered to the Attendance Manager to excuse an absence. Check with the school's main office for delivery information. Include the following information on the note:

1. Student's first and last name
2. Student ID or birth date
3. Grade level (include the teacher's name for elementary students)
4. Date(s) of absence
5. Reason for absence
6. Parent first and last name
7. Parent contact information

* Parent includes either or both parents of a student, any guardian of a student, any person in a parental relationship to a student, or any person exercising supervisory authority over a student in place of a parent.

Approved Reasons for Excused Absences from Policy 5.5 (Attendance)
Parents should report the reason for an absence within two school days. If requested by the school, the parent must provide documentation of an illness from a licensed health care practitioner.
Students must be in school unless the absence has been permitted or excused for one of the reasons listed below:

1. Illness of student (Physical or Mental Health)
2. Illness of an immediate family member
3. Death in the family
4. Religious holiday
5. Required court appearance or subpoena
6. Special event
7. Scheduled medical or dental appointment
8. Student has a communicable disease

Students on field trips, attending alternative to suspension programs, or in internal suspension programs are not considered absent.

Quick Links

District Attendance Committee

Primary roles of the District Attendance Committee include:

Maintenance of Policy 5.5: Attendance
Recommendations for the Attendance Awareness Campaign
Provide recommendations to other committees when appropriate
Support for the Attendance Symposium
District-Wide Attendance Recognition ("An Evening Among the Stars" for multiple years of perfect attendance)

Membership Composition:

Parents
District leadership
School-based leadership
Department heads
Instructional Bargaining Units (BTU)
Community Partners
City and Government representatives
District Advisory Council Representative(s)

Contact Information

Krissa Ericson

Coordinator I - Inst