Attendance Office Hours – 7:45 AM – 3:15 PM

Theresa.Bennett@cobbk12.org

Attendance Office Fax: 770-529-4104

770-975-6503 – Option 1 – Extension 006

Attendance will be taken daily for all students. The Attendance Office handles student requests for checking in and out of school, along with the attendance procedures as determined by the Cobb County School District.  

When a student is absent, the parent/guardian must send in an email or fax statement including the following:

• Student First and Last Name
• Date of the Absence
• Parent/Guardians First and Last Name/Signature
• SPECIFIC reason for the absence
• Notes from students will not be valid to correct attendance.
• Notes from the 3rd Party must be scanned/photographed, faxed or emailed when available for correct coding:
  • Doctor
  • Dentist
  • Hospital
  • Orthodontist

TARDY TO SCHOOL

If a student arrives at school 8:20 or after, they are considered tardy to school and must report to a Tardy Passport Station to sign in, unless the student brings in proper documentation to the Attendance Office. Excessive tardiness to school or failure to sign in properly will result in disciplinary referral. 6+ unexcused tardies will result in loss of parking.

TARDY TO CLASS

Students who are tardy to class must go immediately to the nearest Tardy Pass Port station, scan their student ID or input their student number, and receive a tardy pass for class. Tardies to school and class are cumulative each semester, and students receive consequences for excessive tardies. Students who are tardy more than ten (10) minutes are considered skipping class.

BUS PASS PROCEDURES – No students will be allowed to ride the bus home with another student for the 2024-25 school year.

CERTIFICATE of ENROLLMENT for Permits and Driver's Licenses

The Certificate of Enrollment is needed for a student to receive a Learner’s Permit and a Driver’s License.

• The $2.00 notary fee is payable online to My Payments Plus/Events & Activities/Certificate of Enrollment at the time of the request - please be aware that there is a small convenience fee.
• Certificates of Enrollment are only valid for 30 days.
• The notarized form will be given to the student within 24-48 hours.
• Request COE ahead of school holidays as they are not available on heavy checkout days.
• All students getting their Drivers License should request a copy of their ADAP form from their 9th grade health teacher.

CHECKING OUT OF SCHOOL

PreArranged Checkouts - Written permission is mandatory to check out any student, regardless of age or how the student will be leaving. We do not check out any students over the phone. Checkout notifications should be emailed or faxed AT LEAST 2 hours before the time of dismissal.  All checkouts will end promptly at 3:15. The email/fax should include:

• Student First and Last Name
• Date of the Checkout
• Parent/Guardians First and Last Name/Signature
• Reason for the Early Dismissal Request
• Phone Number/Email Address to Verify the Request

Walk-In Checkouts - Parent/Guardian must come to the Attendance Office and check the student out in person.  Picture Identification MUST BE PRESENTED.

Our student’s education and safety are our main concerns; therefore we appreciate your cooperation in abiding by the guidelines indicated above.

RETURNING TO SCHOOL AFTER AN ABSENCE

When a student is absent, he/she must send in an email/fax from his/her parent or guardian stating the following:

• Student First and Last Name
• Date of the Absence
• Parent/Guardians First and Last Name/Signature
• SPECIFIC reason for the absence

For proper coding, third party excuse notes are requested and required in most cases. The written statement from the parent or the 3rd party note should be given to the attendance clerk the first day back at school. Failure to present an excuse within three days from the absence, will result in the absence being marked unexcused. The attendance clerk may ask for other documentation to verify absences, particularly when more than three (3) absences have been accumulated during the semester.

REASONS FOR EXCUSED ABSENCES

Absences considered excused in accordance with state attendance rule 160-5-1- 10 and O.C.G.A 20-2-690.1

1. When personally ill and when attendance in school would endanger their health or the health of others.
2. When, in their immediate family, there is a serious illness or death which would reasonably necessitate absence from school. Immediate family is defined as mother, father, siblings, grandparents, stepparents, or legal guardian.
3. Observing calendared religious holidays, necessitating absence from school.
4. When mandated by order of governmental agencies (examples: pre-induction physical examination for service in the armed forces or a court order).
5. Children may be excused from school attendance when prevented from such attendance due to conditions rendering school attendance impossible or hazardous to their health or safety.
6. Children who attend court proceedings relating to their foster care or who are serving as Pages in the Georgia General Assembly shall be credited as present by the school for days or class periods missed from school for this purpose. A student in foster care means a student who is in a foster home or otherwise in the foster care system under the Division of Family and Children Services of the Department of Human Services.
7. A student may be granted an excused absence not to exceed one day in order to register to vote or to vote in a public election.
8. A student whose parent/guardian is in military service in the armed forces of the United States or the National Guard, and such parent/guardian has been called to duty for or is on leave from overseas deployment to a combat zone or combat support posting, shall be granted excused absences, up to a maximum of five (5) school days per school year, for the day or days missed from school to visit with his/her parent/guardian prior to such parent/guardian’s deployment or during such parent/guardian’s leave.

*ANY reason for an absence other than these listed is unexcused.

ABSENCES FOR COLLEGE VISITS

Students are allowed 3 official excused college visits during their high school career. Documentation from the school or university must be provided to the attendance office upon return of the visit. These visits are considered excused but not exempt from exams.

ABSENCE TIMING RULES

A student must be present for 50% + 1 minute of instructional time (lunch is not included) for a student to be counted present in the class.

TARDY TIMING RULES

If a student is tardy to school/tardy to class they must arrive for 50% – 1 minute of instructional time (lunch is not included) to be counted present in the class.

Regular Bell Schedule Halfway Times

1st Period – 9:05

2nd Period – 10:40

3rd Period – A & B Lunch – 12:55

C & D Lunch – 12:30

4th Period – 2:42

(Please note that Allatoona High School may be on an alternate schedule on any given day due to CCSD Early Release, Testing or for other special events.  Please check with the Attendance Office for halfway times as needed.)

EXCESSIVE ABSENCES

(Cobb County Administrative Rule JB-5 Attendance Protocol)

The primary goal of this attendance protocol is to address unexcused absences for students ages six to fifteen.

Three (3) unexcused absences: Teachers will communicate with parents regarding student attendance via e-mail or phone call. Documentation will be kept by homeroom/classroom teachers and the attendance office throughout the school year.

Five (5) unexcused absences: Each school will utilize In-touch generated contact through one of the following: Telephone call, letter from the principal, and/or email.

Seven (7) unexcused absences: A School Social Work referral is generated by Principal/attendance office listing specific school-based interventions (telephone calls, letters or conferences) that have occurred prior to the referral.

Ten (10) or more unexcused absences: Students and/or parents will be subject to a referral(s) to juvenile court, magistrate court and/or Department of Family and Children Services for truancy and/or educational neglect. Detailed information pertaining to the student, local school and school social work interventions will be necessary when filing a Complaint with DFCS, Juvenile and/or Magistrate Court. 

Excessive Absences (excused or unexcused): At the discretion of local school administration, a referral to the School Social Worker can be made at any time it is deemed appropriate for excessive excused/unexcused absences. Previous years’ attendance records may be taken into consideration when making a referral.

Student Attendance Procedures Update – CTLS NOTIFICATIONS

Cobb County School District has started sending out Absence Notifications via CTLS Parent. You will receive a Text Notification or an Email Notification (please see the example below) or phone call to notify you if your student misses a class or the entire day at 4:15pm daily.

The notification mentions “Please call the school” or “Sign in and Click on the Link in CTLS” for absences.

Here at Allatoona, we request the following:

ABSENCES - DO NOT CALL THE SCHOOL to report a student absent. All attendance verifications must be in writing with any 3rd party doctor notes attached and emailed to Theresa.bennett@cobbk12.org. Please allow 24 hours for corrections to be made.

CTLS MESSAGES – This feature will be pulled daily and are only for missed class time due to illness.

EARLY CHECKOUTS – must be in writing or email at least 2 hours before the designated time, not on the phone or through CTLS Parent.