Student Attendance
Attendance Zones
Students are expected to attend the school to which they are assigned by virtue of their residence. Legal residence is defined as the place of regular lodging by the custodial parent or legal guardian.
Parents may make application to enroll their children in another school in the school system provided they meet the guidelines as outlined on the Request for Reassignment. If requests are approved, the parent must arrange transportation to and from that respective school. Requests must be submitted annually, in writing, to the Robertson County School's Central Office.
Compulsory Attendance
The State of Tennessee requires all children between the ages of six and seventeen, both inclusive, to attend a public or non-public school. A child entering kindergarten shall be no less than five years of age on or before August 15 of the current school term. Compulsory attendance laws do not apply to:
- students who have received diplomas
- students enrolled and making satisfactory progress in a course leading to a GED
- students enrolled in home schools who have reached the age of seventeen.
Absences from School
Absences are classified as either excused, unexcused or suspended by the principal or his/her designee. Excused absences include, but are not limited to: illness of student (after 3 consecutive days or repeated absences, a note from a physician may be required), illness of a family member which requires the student's help at home, death of a family member, medication appointments which cannot be scheduled outside school time, religious holidays, or circumstances which, in the judgment of the principal, create emergencies over which the student has no control. Students participating in school-sponsored activities, whether on or off campus, shall not be counted absent.
All missed class work or tests may be made up when the excused truancy is verified by a note or contact and the student makes the request immediately upon returning to school. Students who have received excused absences must have at least time equal to the number of days missed plus one day to make up assignments.
Excessive Absences
An attendance review committee shall be formed by the principal of each school. Students missing five or more days (or same class) in a grading period will be reviewed and the circumstances of the absences as they apply to the attendance policy.
Elementary (K-8) schools participate in the Truancy Grade Review Program. This program is an attempt by the Board of Education and the Robertson County Juvenile Court to work cooperatively to reduce truancy, early dismissals, and under-achievement.
- When a student accumulates five unexcused attendance events, the student's records are reviewed. If a problem is noted, the committee will meet with the parent to develop a plan of correction.
- When a student accumulates 8 unexcused attendance events, the student will be referred to district office for monitoring.
- When a student accumulated ten unexcused attendance events, the student will be referred to Juvenile Court for Truancy.
Attendance Credit
In accordance with state attendance accounting policies, to receive any attendance credit, including credit toward perfect attendance, a student must be present for the majority of the school day.
Resources
Driver's Licenses
Any student fifteen years of age or older who becomes deficient in attendance shall be reported to the Department of Safety for driver's license denial or revocation.
A student shall be deemed deficient in attendance when he/she drops out of school or has ten consecutive or fifteen days total unexcused absences during a single semester.