Attendance Information
In this section:
The OSSD BOT is committed to providing the students of OSSD with a performance-based educational program. The BOT believes that all children can learn and that their daily attendance enhances the educational process. Therefore, in accordance with MS Code § 37-13-91, OSSD shall enforce the Mississippi Compulsory School Attendance Law and shall apply the same standards to all students as described in OSSD BOT Policy JBA - Compulsory School Attendance/School Age.
"Compulsory-school-age children" means a child who has attained or will attain the age of six (6) years on or before September 1, of the calendar year. An "unlawful absence" is an absence during a school day by a compulsory school-age child and is not due to a valid excuse for temporary nonattendance.
Parents or guardians of any child enrolled in a full-day public school kindergarten program cannot withdraw the child from the program on a one-time basis as before. They are considered compulsory upon enrollment in the program and must abide by the law. If the child is withdrawn, the child must be enrolled in home or private school.
Each of the following shall constitute a valid excuse for temporary nonattendance of a compulsory school-age child enrolled in school, provided satisfactory evidence of the excuse is provided to the superintendent of the school district or his/her designee.
- An absence is excused when the absence results from the compulsory school-age child's attendance of an authorized school activity with the prior approval of the superintendent of the school district or his/her designee. Such activities may include field trips, athletic contests, student conventions, musical festivals, and any similar activity.
- An absence is excused when the absence results from illness or injury which prevents the compulsory-school-age child from being physically able to attend school.
- An absence is excused when isolation of a compulsory-school-age child is ordered by the County Health Officer or by the State Board of Health.
- An absence is excused when it results from the death or serious illness of a member of the immediate family of a compulsory-school-age child. The immediate family member(s) of a compulsory-school-age child shall include children, spouse, grandparents, parents, brothers, and sisters, including step-brothers and step-sisters.
- An absence is excused when it results from a medical or dental appointment of a compulsory-school-age child 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.
- An absence is excused when it results from the attendance of a compulsory-school-age child at the proceedings of a court or administrative tribunal if such child is a party to the action or under subpoena as a witness.
- An absence may be excused if the religion to which the compulsory-school-age child or such child'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 child.
- An absence may be excused when it is demonstrated to the satisfaction of the superintendent of the OSSD or his/her designee that the purpose of the absence is to take advantage of a valid educational opportunity such as travel including vacations or other family travel. Approval of such absence must be gained from the superintendent of OSSD or his/her designee prior to the absence but such approval shall not be unreasonably withheld.
- An absence may be excused when it is demonstrated to the satisfaction of the superintendent or his/her designee that conditions are sufficient to warrant the compulsory-school-age child's non-attendance.
Any parent, guardian, or custodian of a compulsory-school-age child subject to the provisions of this policy who refuses or willfully fails to perform any of the duties imposed upon him or her under the provisions of this policy, or who intentionally falsified any information required to be contained in a certificate enrollment will be guilty of contributing to the neglect of a child and, upon conviction, shall be punished in accordance with the provisions of MS Code §97-5-39.
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 ten (10) 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 Compulsory School Attendance Law states that every child who has not reached the age of 17 years prior to September 1 of that school year SHALL be enrolled and regularly attend school.
- AEC
- K-3
- OSHS
- OSMS
- OSUE
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 63% 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-seven percent (37%) 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.
Reporting an Absence
Each day a child is not in school, the parent must notify the school office by phone, in writing, or in person that the student will be absent. If notification is not received, the principal or his/her designee will investigate the absence in a timely manner.
- AEC
- K-3
- OSMS
- OSUE
An absence that is verified by the parent/guardian and for which the cause is listed in the Mississippi Compulsory School Attendance Law is considered excused. However, having the absence excused by the parent/guardian’s call does not automatically protect the absence from counting toward the student’s loss of credit. For clarification purposes, excused absences are divided into four categories:
Parental-Excused Absence
A student is allowed two parental absences per nine-week grading period. Documented dates must coincide with the actual days of absence. Parents must notify the Attendance Office by phone, in writing, or in person no later than the day the student returns. The absence is recorded for school purposes and the student is allowed to make up work and/or tests missed.
Documented-Excused Absence
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 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-Excused Absence
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 days in advance through the online administrative absence request form and provide related documentation. Administrative absences will only be approved once per year for a maximum of five days once all parental absences have been applied for the given term. Final approval for Administrative Absence will not be recorded until all steps have been completed.
School-Sponsored Activity-Excused Absence
The student is excused for a school-sponsored activity when her/his teacher approves the absence in advance. The student is allowed to make up work and/or tests missed. The teacher/sponsor will provide a complete list of names to the attendance office and to each teacher of those students whose absence is school-sponsored.
- AEC
- K-3
- OSMS
- OSUE
If proper documentation is not submitted upon return to school, the absence will be reflected as an unexcused absence. OSSD follows the Compulsory School Attendance Law in reported unexcused absences to the County Attendance Offer and the Department of Human Services. An accumulation of 10 unexcused absences may be one factor in determining the promotion/retention of a student.
- AEC
- K-3
- OSMS
- OSUE
For excused absences, a student shall have two (2) days for each day's absence to complete missed assignments. It is the student's responsibility to initiate the necessary process with the teacher for making up missed assignments. (Example: A student is absent on Monday and returns to school Tuesday. Tuesday is the first day on which make-up work is to be done. The make-up work is due on Thursday when the student comes to class).
Extended Make-Up Work Guidelines
During the course of the school year, students may become sick and unable to attend class. Regular class attendance is extremely important for the academic well-being of students. If your child cannot attend school, learning should continue (to the degree possible under the circumstances) during his or her absence. If your child is absent from school for one or two days, he/she should contact the teacher upon return for missed assignments. For excused absences, a student shall have two (2) days for each day’s absence to complete missed assignments. If your child is absent from school for three consecutive days, please communicate with your child’s teacher(s) and request the assignments.
Assignments must be made up as previously stated in order for students to receive credit during the excused absence. If a student misses one or more days of an exam schedule, the student must make arrangements to make up the exams. An exam grade of “zero” will temporarily be recorded until the exams are made up. Exams must be made up within two days after the student returns to campus, but teachers may extend this make-up period due to unusual or extreme circumstances. Any exam not made up within the timeframe will be permanently recorded as a “zero.”
Absences from classes that happen as part of official, school-sponsored events (such as field trips) are not counted as absences. In these cases, students should coordinate with their teachers in advance to ensure that assignments are obtained, work is completed, and learning continues.
- OSMS
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 8:20 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. The absence will be unexcused if the absence is not verified by the parent/guardian if the student has exceeded the two allowed parental absences, or if the student does not have written documentation at the time of check-in/check-out.
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 3 p.m.
Late Check-In
A late check-in absence that is verified by the parent/guardian in person or by phone, or by written documentation from a doctor, lawyer, etc., and for which the cause is listed in the Mississippi Compulsory School Attendance Law is considered excused. The late check-in absence will be considered unexcused if the absence is not verified by the parent/guardian, if the student has exceeded the two allowed parental absences, or if the student does not have written documentation at the time of check-in.
Checking Out Of School / Leaving Campus
Under normal circumstances, once a student arrives on school grounds, the student, regardless of age, is to remain throughout the entire day. Sometimes, however, it is necessary for parents to check students out of school prior to the end of the school day. Excessive checkouts interrupt instruction. Please note that two (2) checkouts per quarter are considered an excessive interruption of instruction. The following procedure will be followed when it becomes necessary to check a student out of school prior to the end of the school day:
- The parent/guardian must come to the Attendance Office to check out the student. The parent/guardian may also designate another adult to check out their student. The designee must be an adult at least 21 years of age, or be an immediate family member who is at least 18 and not enrolled at OSMS. The designee must be on the emergency contact list and be verified by school personnel. Picture identification is required and/or the parent/guardian may be notified before the student will be allowed to leave school.
- The person checking out the student must complete the Student Check-Out Form by providing the following information:
- the name of the student to be checked out,
- the signature of the person checking out the student,
- the reason for the student to be checked out, and
- the date and time the student is to be released from school.
- If the student is being checked out immediately, the student will be summoned to the office.
School-wide activities are considered part of the overall OSMS curriculum. Any student that checks out during these activities will be counted absent during their respective release period. This absence will count against attendance and test exemptions.
- OSMS
Students may enter the building at 7:55 a.m. A student is considered tardy if he/she is not in his or her classroom at 8:20 a.m. 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 no later than 8:15 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:
- school transportation or other school-related actions,
- medical or dental appointments if accompanied by a written excuse from the physician, dentist, or other medical personnel, and
- special circumstances in accordance with the Mississippi Compulsory School Attendance Law and deemed acceptable by the principal or her designee.
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.
Consequences for Tardiness
Based on the understanding that a student may be tardy from time to time, students who are tardy to class will receive two free tardies. On the 3rd tardy, the student receives one day of after-school detention and on the 4th tardy, one day of ISI. On the 5th tardy, three days of ISI, and on the 6th tardy, one day of OSS. The tardy policy is in effect every nine weeks. A student will be considered tardy if he/she is not in his/her designated classroom in his/her seat or in his/her designated area and ready for instruction when the tardy bell begins to sound. All tardies are considered unexcused except those excused by an administrator or counselor. In any instance where a student is detained, the administrator or counselor who detained a student will send a pass with the student to his/her teacher. The classroom teacher will send tardy students to the office for a pass to class.
Any student assigned to detention who fails to serve his/her assigned detention on the day assigned by the teacher/administrator will result in higher placement on the discipline ladder.
When tardy, a student who reports to the office for a tardy slip within five minutes of the tardy bell will be considered tardy. Students who report to the office more than five minutes after the tardy bell will receive a tardy and will also be considered out of bounds.
Tardy to Class Consequences
| 1st Tardy | 1st Warning |
|---|---|
| 2nd Tardy | 2nd Warning |
| 3rd Tardy | 1 day of after-school detention |
| 4th Tardy | 1 day of ISI |
| 5th Tardy | 3 days of ISI |
| 6th Tardy | 1 day of OSS |
| 7th Tardy & Up | 3 days of OCS |
- OSMS
Any absence is considered truancy if:
- The parent/guardian was not aware that the student was absent;
- The parent/guardian was aware but chose not to excuse, or
- The reason for the absence is not a valid excuse for temporary nonattendance according to the state’s Compulsory Attendance Law.
If the absence is recorded as an unexcused absence. The student is not allowed to make up work or tests missed. Cutting school or class is truancy. A student will be placed on Step 2 of the Discipline Ladder (3 to 9 days ISI) for the first act of truancy. Subsequent acts of truancy will result in a more severe penalty.
- OSMS
- Regular and punctual attendance is necessary for academic growth.
- A student is allowed only two parental absences per nine-week period. The office must be notified by the parent prior to or on the day of absence for the absence to be considered an excused absence.
- All other absences require medical or legal documentation for the absence to be considered excused. Documentation must be submitted to the school office or to the student’s teacher prior to the absence or within 2 days of the student’s return to school.
- AEC
- K-3
- OSHS
- OSMS
- OSUE