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Attendance Office

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Attendance is located in the front of the attendance building.

ATTENDANCE

Students are expected to attend all classes and are not entitled to class cuts. Parents, please note: Harrison does not recognize or sanction skip days. Students who participate in such an event or activity will be credited with an unexcused absence. The state Board of Education governs reasons for excusing attendance incidents (absences and tardies). The state Board of Education policy defines the following attendance circumstances as excused: 

  • Personal illness 
  • Death of a family member
  • Recognized religious holidays observed by the student’s faith
  • Absences mandated by a state agency
  • Students who serve as a page in the Georgia General Assembly

** All other reasons are unexcused.** 

Please note: A student with an unexcused absence may not make up work missed for that day. A special circumstance designation may be assigned to an unexcused absence with prior parent notice of absence to the administration.

Students must be present for one-half of the instructional period in order to be counted present for the period.

Kim Greaves
Attendance Clerk
Ext. 025
Send Email

ADMITTANCE AFTER ABSENCE

If a student is absent, a written statement from the parent/guardian must be submitted to the Attendance office within three days of return to school. The note should include the reason for absence, the dates of the absence(s), home and work phone numbers where a parent can be reached, and a parent signature. The Attendance office will not accept notes unless phone numbers are included. All parent notes will be kept on file in the Attendance office. The principal or designee is authorized to require verification of statements explaining a student’s absence from class or school. When probable cause exists for questioning the validity of a student’s absence note, confirmation from a medical authority may be required. Forward absence notes to the attendance office within three days. After three days, please contact the student’s alpha administrator.

A parent should notify the student’s alpha administrator when her/his student will be absent from school for any extended period of time. Cobb County School Board policy JBD requires parents to furnish the school with a doctor's statement verifying an illness for each absence after 10 or more school days have been missed. When appropriate, students with 10 or more absences will be referred for special attention and referral to the school social worker. Please contact your student’s alpha administrator with concerns.

COLLEGE VISITATIONS

Seniors and juniors will be allowed two excused absences for the purpose of legitimate, organized visits to universities, colleges, and technical or vocational schools. For college visits to be counted as excused, the Attendance office must be notified ahead of time (required: written note from a parent or appointment notice form the college), and an official letter from the institution verifying attendance at the visit must be submitted to the Attendance office upon the student’s return to campus. This letter must be on the official letterhead of the institution and must include the student's name, the date visited, and a brief statement of activities the student engaged in during the visit. The letter must be signed by an official of the institution.

DRIVER RESPONSIBILITY ACT

Certificate of Enrollment (necessary to get driver's permit/license)

The Teenage and Adult Driver Responsibility Act (TAADRA) requires that local school systems certify a student’s enrollment in order for the student to hold a Georgia driver's permit or license. The certificate must be presented before taking the test for driver permit/license. The form may be obtained in the Attendance office for a $2 service fee and 24-hour notice. Payment of this $2 fee via My Payments Plus will generate the certificate required within 24 hours.

The local school is required to report non-compliance for any student to the Georgia Department of Public Safety (DPS) who: 

  • has withdrawn from school without re-enrolling for ten consecutive school days 
  • has accrued more than ten school days of unexcused absences in any combination of two consecutive semesters
  • has been suspended from school for:
    • threatening, striking, or causing bodily harm to a teacher or other school personnel
    • possession or sale of drugs or alcohol on school property
    • possession or use of a weapon on school property

After non-compliance has been sent to the DPS, the parent of the licensee will be notified of permit or license suspension by certified mail. Please visit the Georgia Department of Public Safety for information regarding reinstatement.

EARLY DISMISSAL

All early dismissal notes must be submitted to the Attendance office the morning of the day the student is to leave early. The Attendance office calls the parent/guardian to confirm each note that is submitted. The student will not be permitted to leave campus until the note is verified. Parent contact must be through the phone numbers in the student information system. Please be sure the note includes a current phone number where a parent/guardian can be reached. If a parent wishes for another adult to pick up the student, this request must also be in writing and/or their name(s) must be in the student information portal. If a parent or guardian cannot be reached, the students will not be allowed leave school. If a student leaves without this confirmation, the student will receive disciplinary action. Phone calls to the Attendance office for early dismissal or student checkout are prohibited. If a checkout note is not submitted for verification, the parent will be required to show identification in the Attendance office to process the checkout request.

At the time of early dismissal/checkout, all students must sign out in the Attendance office before leaving. If returning the same day, students must also sign in at the Attendance office. Failure to sign in or out properly may result in disciplinary action. Parent phones calls or emails to the Attendance office for early dismissal will only be accepted in cases of emergency. 

ILLNESS

If a student becomes ill during the day, the student must report to the clinic for evaluation before requesting an early dismissal/checkout. If a student needs to go home, the clinic nurse will call a parent for pick-up. For student safety, a parent will be required to pick-up a student from the clinic if the student is being sent home for illness. The parent will be required to show identification before the student is released.

TARDINESS

The school day begins at 8:20 a.m. Students are expected to report to school and be in each class on time. Students who are tardy to class will have the following consequences:

  • 1st–3rd Unexcused Tardy:
    • Warning posted on the tardy slip issued through the attendance office 
  • 4th Unexcused Tardy:
    • One day of Saturday school
    • Warning that 6th unexcused tardy will result in loss of parking, per CCSD policy, and two days of Saturday school
    • Parents contacted
  • 6th Unexcused Tardy:
    • Two days of Saturday school and a loss of parking privileges, per CCSD policy
    • Warning that 8th unexcused tardy will result in three days of ISS
    • Parents contacted
  • 8th Unexcused Tardy:
    • Three (3) days of ISS
    • Warning that 10th unexcused tardy will result in two days of OSS and administrative conference with parent and student
    • Parents contacted
  • 10th Unexcused Tardy:
    • Administrative conference with student and parent
    • Two days of OSS for insubordination

LATE CHECK-INS

Students who report to school late due must check in through the Attendance office. An email statement from the parent/guardian must be submitted to the Attendance office within 24 hours to process an excused tardy (please see guidelines for excusing an attendance incident under attendance). Failure to sign-in with the Attendance office will be referred to the administration for disciplinary consequences.

LEAVING CAMPUS

Students who plan to leave campus before regular dismissal must check out through the Attendance office (see early dismissal procedures). Students are not allowed to leave campus at any time after their initial arrival on campus without permission from the Attendance office. Early arrival for whatever reason constitutes being on campus and requires the student to follow early dismissal procedures. Leaving or attempting to leave campus without permission will be punishable by an assignment to the in-school suspension program on the first offense and will result in the loss of parking privileges. Early dismissal for illness must be certified through the school clinic.

FORGED/FALSE ATTENDANCE RECORDS

All attendance statements (i.e., parent notes) must be sent from the parent’s email account. The forgery of any attendance related statements given to school officials by students is a serious offense. Submitting a statement of absence that has not been written by a parent will result in disciplinary action.

OUT-OF-TOWN/UNAVAILABLE PARENTS

The student’s alpha administrator should be notified when parents will be unavailable for contact. Both routine and emergency situations require that a responsible adult be contacted.