Did you know?
- Missing just 10 days in a school year can reduce a child’s chance of graduating high school or enrolling in college by 25%.
- Students who come to school regularly are 2.5 times more likely to stay on track and graduate.
- Children who miss 2-4 days per month (about 10% of the school year) are considered chronically absent, which puts them at greater risk of falling behind in reading and math.
- By 6th grade, chronic absence is one of the strongest predictors of not graduating high school.
- Good attendance builds more than academics—it strengthens friendships, confidence, and lifelong habits for success.
Absences
A parent/guardian note - given to the front office or uploaded to your student’s FOCUS account - is required each time a student is absent. The principal determines whether the absence can be excused in accordance with the district’s policy.
Examples of excused absences:
- student illness/injury
- student medical/dental/other health or mental health appointment(s)
- death in the immediate family
- religious holiday
If an absence isn’t reported or an explanation isn’t provided in a timely manner, it is considered unexcused.
When We Reach Out
For every unexcused absence or absence with no clear reason, the school will reach out to families using an automated phone call to the primary number in FOCUS. If you need to update your phone number, please make sure to contact the school.
When students are at-risk of becoming chronically absent, or are already chronically absent, they will also receive periodic text messages and mail reminders about their child’s attendance.
Patterns of Non-Attendance
According to Florida Law, a student is considered at risk of developing attendance issues when:
They have 5 or more unexcused absences in a calendar month, or10 unexcused absences within a 90-day period.
When either threshold is met, the principal refers the student to the Attendance Review Committee or Child Study Team, who will meet with you to explore support and develop an attendance improvement plan.
If a student accumulates more than 10 parent/guardian notes in a school year, the principal may require additional documentation to excuse future absences.
Make-Up Work for Excused Absences
Don't worry - when an absence is excused, your child can make up missed assignments for full credit. For excused absences, they get the number of days absent plus one extra day to complete work.
Chronic Tardiness
Six or more tardies to school or to class per quarter is considered chronic and may result in outreach or interventions. In some cases, students who are chronically tardy or skipping class may have disciplinary consequences consistent with the Code of Conduct.
Why This Matters
- These processes are in place to ensure your child doesn’t fall behind and that we respond early with support - not discipline.
- Regular attendance helps build continuity in learning, develops strong habits, and facilitates meaningful connections with classmates and teachers.
- Working together, we can identify and address barriers before they become bigger challenges.
District attendance information