Attendance and Tardies

The attendance status of a student whose total number of absences, whether excused or unexcused, at any time during a school year is equal to or greater than 10 percent of the total number of school days that such student has been enrolled at the same school or within the same local school system during the current school year excepting such student's first day of enrollment. The rate of Chronic Absenteeism (CA) is a school measure of the percentage of enrolled students who miss 10% or more school days for any reason.

Attendance in a public school, private school, or home study program is required for children between their 6th and 16th birthdays. Every parent or guardian residing in this state having control or charge of any child between their 6th and 16th birthdays shall be responsible for enrolling and sending such child to a public school, private school, or home school program. Attendance in a public school, private school, or a home school program is required regardless of the fact that a child has been suspended or expelled from school by the local board of education. Official Code of Georgia (O.C.G.A.) § 20-2-690.1

When a parent, guardian, or other person having charge or control of a student authorizes a student to leave the facility before the end of the school day. School day hours are published in local school handbooks.

State Board of Education Rule 160-5-1-.10 defines the following as excused absences:

• Personal illness or attendance in school endangers a student’s health or the health of others. (i) Local boards of education may request students to present appropriate medical documentation to school for the purpose of validating that the absence is an excused absence
• A serious illness or death in the student’s immediate family necessitating absence from school. (i) In the event of a serious illness in a student's immediate family, local boards of education may request students to present appropriate medical documentation regarding the family member upon return to school for the purpose of validating that the absence is an excused absence.
• A court order or an order by a government agency, including pre-induction physical examinations for service in the armed forces, mandating absence from school.
• Observing religious holidays, necessitating absence from school.
• Conditions rendering attendance impossible or hazardous to student health or safety. (For Gwinnett County Public Schools, the closure of schools for hazardous conditions may only be made by the Superintendent for the purposes of excused absences.)
• A period not to exceed one day is allowed at the discretion of the local unit of administration for registering to vote or voting in a public election.
• Local boards of education shall count students present when they are serving as pages for the Georgia General Assembly.
• Public school students visiting with a parent or legal guardian prior to or during leave from deployment to a combat zone or combat support posting as a member of the armed forces of the United States or the National Guard are allowed five excused absences per school year.
• Students who are 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 will be counted present for any day, portion of a day, or days missed from school when attending court proceedings related to that student’s foster care.
• A student who participates in the Student Teen Election Participant (STEP) program will be counted as present and given full credit for the school day during which he or she served in the STEP program.
• A student who participates in an activity or program sponsored by 4-H.

Students are considered tardy to school or class if the student arrives at a designated location after a school bell, chime, or buzzer has sounded. (Local schools will include specific information relevant to their facility to identify the designated location for student arrival.)

Any child subject to compulsory attendance who during the school calendar year has more than five (5) days of unexcused absences.