Attendance Information

Regular and punctual attendance on the part of all students is necessary for successful accomplishment in elementary school. Therefore, it is important that parents not only encourage their students to attend school regularly but also that the students be punctual. Also, only in unavoidable cases should a student be taken out of school before the close of the school day. In order for a student to be considered as having attended school for a full day, the OSSD BOT Policy JBD - Attendance, Tardiness, and Excuses specifies that each student must be present for 66% of his or her individual instructional day as fixed by the OSSD BOT. For purposes of reporting absenteeism, a student who has an absence that is more than thirty-four percent (34%) of the student’s instructional day, as fixed by the BOT for the school at which the student is enrolled, shall be considered absent the entire school day. 

 

For each day a child is absent, the parent or guardian must notify the school office by phone, in writing, or in person within two (2) school days of the absence. If notification is not received, the principal or his/her designee will investigate the absence in a timely manner.

Excused absences include Parental-Excused, Documented-Excused, Administrative-Excused, and Medical-Excused. Mississippi Law limits students to a total five (5) excused absences per semester, three (3) of which can be Parental-Excused. Any additional absences beyond five must be approved by the superintendent or they are considered unlawful absences.

 

A student is allowed three (3) parental absences per semester. Documented dates must coincide with the actual days of absence. Parents must notify the Attendance Office by phone, in writing, or in person within two (2) school days of the absence. The absence is recorded for school purposes and the student is allowed to make up work and/or tests missed. Absences may be excused according to the Mississippi Compulsory Attendance Law for the following reasons:

1. The absence results from the attendance of an authorized school activity with the prior approval. Such activities may include field trips, athletic contests, student conventions, musical festivals, and any similar activity.
2. The absence results from illness or injury which prevents the student from being physically able to attend school.
3. When isolation of a student is ordered by the County Health Officer or by the State Board of Health.
4. The death or serious illness of a member of the immediate family of a student. The immediate family member(s) of a student shall include children, spouse, grandparents, parents, brothers, and sisters, including step-brothers and step-sisters.
5. The absence results from a medical or dental appointment of a student where the approval of the superintendent of OSSD or his/her designee is gained prior to the absence, except in the case of an emergency.
6. The absence results from the attendance of a student at the proceedings of a court or administrative tribunal if such child is a party to the action or under subpoena as a witness.
7. The religion to which the student or the student's parents adheres requires or suggests the observance of a religious event. The approval of such absence is within the discretion of the superintendent or his/her designee, but approval should be granted unless the religion's observance is of such duration as to interfere with the education of the student.

If a compulsory-school-age child has not been enrolled in a school within fifteen (15) calendar days after the first day of the school year of the school which such child is eligible to attend or such child has accumulated five (5) unlawful absences during the school year, the principal or school superintendent shall report such absences to the school attendance officer of the youth court or family court.

 

The absence is verified by the parent/guardian and is excused by written documentation such as a doctor’s excuse, legal order, religious holiday verification, etc. The absence is recorded for school purposes and the student is allowed to make up work and/or tests missed. Documentation must be received within two (2) days of the absence.

Medical documentation will only be excused full day if the excuse indicates it to be a full day. If the doctor’s excuse indicates beginning and ending times, the excuse may only be accepted for those times, not the entire day. The doctor’s office can fax or scan and email the excuse to the school. The scan and email can be sent to the school attendance clerk.

 

Administrative absence designation is used to cover special situations which include college visits, funerals, graduations, and certain school-related activities. Parents must request this absence two (2) days in advance through the online administrative absence link and provide related documentation. Administrative absences will only be approved when all parental absences have been applied for the given semester.

 

At the principal's discretion, students may be counted present or excused when they are absent from class due to official school business. These absences will not count against the exemption policy and will be marked as present. This includes, but is not limited to: 

1. Participation in school-sponsored activities.
2. Field Trips
3. Athletic Events
4. Meetings with school staff, counselors, administrators, or nurses. 
5. Testing or academic programs approved by the school 
6. Other activities authorized by the school administration 

Students are responsible for making up any missed assignments in accordance with school policy.

If proper documentation is not submitted upon return to school, the absence will be reflected as an unexcused absence. OSSD follows the Mississippi Compulsory School Attendance Law in reported unexcused absences to the County Attendance Offer and the Department of Human Services. A court petition may be filed at eight (8) unexcused absences. An accumulation of eight (8) unexcused absences may be one factor in determining the promotion/retention of a student.

Students who miss a class for any reason will be given the opportunity to complete the work missed in that class. Students are allowed as many days to make up missed work, as they were absent. All make-up work must be completed and returned to the appropriate teachers for credit. Graded assignments will be scheduled at the discretion of the teacher.

It is in the best interest of the student and the school’s instructional program that all students are in class and ready to begin when the instructional days start at 7:45 a.m. Late check-ins should be avoided. To protect the integrity of the instructional program, appointments should be scheduled after the end of the school day, whenever possible. Late check-ins and early check-outs are discouraged and are subject to school attendance policies. Furthermore, any student who checks in late or checks out early will be responsible for making up all work that was missed. The teacher will provide make-up work to ensure that the student does not fall behind academically.

 

A student is expected to remain at school throughout the school day except in case of emergency. In the event a student becomes ill during the school day, the parent/guardian will be contacted and, if necessary, expected to come to school and check the student out. When early check-out is necessary, the student’s parent/guardian or an adult designated by the parent/guardian on the student’s emergency card must personally sign the student out in the school office. Teachers are not authorized to release students to parents who come to the classroom.

 

The time when schools are preparing for dismissal and loading students on buses and into parents’ vehicles is extremely sensitive. Every possible step must be taken to ensure the safe dismissal of all students. Therefore, no student will be called from class for early check-out after 2:15 p.m.

Students may enter the building at 7:15 a.m. A student is considered tardy if he/she is not in his or her classroom at 7:45. Punctual daily attendance is necessary for student success. Being on time ensures that the student is properly accounted for in the morning attendance report and allows the student to hear important morning announcements. Punctuality by all students prevents disruptions for the teacher and other students in the class. Parents who provide transportation for their child to school are encouraged to consider possible traffic congestion as well as inclement weather conditions in developing a schedule to make sure the student arrives by no later than 7:40 A.M. Tardies to school caused by any of the following reasons shall be excused. All other tardies shall be considered unexcused. Reasons to be accepted for an excused tardy include:

 

The principal or designee will investigate excessive tardiness. Excessive tardiness is considered more than five tardies in a nine-week period. Administrative action, including referral to the County Attendance Officer and/or Child Protective Services, may be taken.

Any absence is considered truancy if:

1. Investigate the reasons for the excessive absences.
2. Meet with parent(s) and students to resolve the attendance problem.