Student Handbook - Kingsport City Schools - Website

Recommendations

Info

K I N G S P O R T C I T Y S C H O O : S T U D E N T H A N D B O O KEXCEPTIONS/SPECIAL SITUATIONSStudents who miss classes to participate in school functions/field trips approved by the principalor Superintendent of Schools will be recorded as “field trip”. Activities considered schoolfunctions must be school-planned, school-directed and teacher-supervised. Students receivinghomebound services are exempt from the provisions of this policy for the duration of theplacement.COLLEGE VISIT DAYSHigh school juniors and seniors may choose to miss two days per year in order to visitcollege campuses. These absences count toward the total number of absences in anyone term. Students are strongly encouraged to utilize fall and spring breaks for collegevisits.MAKE-UP WORKPlease see School Operations: Make-Up Work.POSSIBLE LEGAL SANCTIONS Referral to the Truancy Intervention Program for Attendance Monitoring High School & Middle School students may be referred to the Tribe Council Programto have their case heard by a group of their peers. A referral may be made for in-home services or counseling. A petition can be filed against middle and high school students for truancy. This willresult in the student and parent having to appear in the Sullivan County JuvenileCourt. Students can be placed on probation, placed in a residential setting, or possibly beremoved from the parent’s custody and placed in foster care. A petition will be filed against the parents for dependency and neglect for casesinvolving elementary students. Parents can be reported to the Department ofChildren’s Services for educational neglect. By law, parents may be fined $50 for every unexcused absence. Parents may be charged with Educational Neglect. Each unexcused absenceconstitutes a separate offense. Educational neglect is a class C misdemeanor.Middle and high school students can be charged with truancy and taken before the JuvenileCourt Judge. A truancy petition can result in the child being placed on probation or beingremoved from the home and placed in foster care or a group home. In cases involvingelementary students, a dependency and neglect petition will be filed in the Juvenile Court.Parents/legal guardians may be fined for each unexcused absence. Further, if the parent/legalguardian is found to be at fault for the unexcused absences, they may be charged withcontributing to the delinquency of a minor and sentenced to up to one (1) year in jail.COMMUNICATIONSIt is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to notify the school by 9 a.m. when a student isabsent and provide the school with an explanation for the absence. This will be used by theprincipal in determining whether or not the absence is excused. Parents can notify the schoolregarding their child’s absence using one of the following methods: e-mail the attendancecontact person; call; OR send a written excuse.State law [TCA 49-6-3007(e)(2)] requires that the school send a letter to the parent/guardianafter five (5) days of absence without an adequate excuse. After five (5) days of unexcused31
K I N G S P O R T C I T Y S C H O O : S T U D E N T H A N D B O O Kabsence, the Attendance Supervisor will determine if action should be taken against the parentor guardian of the student. In some instances, charges against the student will be pursued if thestudent is responsible for the truant behavior. (Please see Legal Sanctions above.)The Attendance Supervisor will be informed of all attendance referrals needing attention. At thetime of referral, the Attendance Supervisor will make a determination as to what action will betaken. Actions include intervention from the Attendance Supervisor, referral to the TruancyIntervention Program or formal action in the Juvenile or General Sessions Court.PARTIAL ABSENCES, TARDINESS AND EARLY DISMISSALSThe principal will refer students with 25 unexcused incidents of tardiness and/or partialabsences and/or early dismissals will be referred to the Attendance Supervisor who determinesappropriate action which may include filing an affidavit of complaint against the parent orguardian.APPEALSAny student or parent/guardian may appeal the attendance decision or action of a principal tothe Superintendent of Schools. Any student or parent/guardian may appeal a decision of theSuperintendent of Schools to the Board of Education. The appeal and reason for it shall be inwriting. The Board shall consider the appeal at its next regular or called meeting after giving duenotice to the appellant.ADMINISTRATIONThe principal is responsible for administering this policy at his/her school. The AttendanceSupervisor will provide assistance as needed. Assistance from community agencies will berequested as needed. The Attendance Supervisor is responsible for the overall administration ofthis policy and for maintaining attendance records required by the State.DEFINITIONS:TRUANCY - An absence for the entire day, a major portion of the day, or the majorportion of any class activity during the school day, for which the student is scheduled(without an excuse).EARLY DISMISSAL - Missing a portion of the school day or portion of any class oractivity during the school day for which the student is scheduled. A student mustattend 3 hours and 16 minutes to be counted present for the day.TARDINESS - Late arrival to school.ABBREVIATED DAY - Dismissal time for abbreviated days is 11:40 a.m. (middle andhigh school) and 12:15 p.m. (elementary school). Refer to the school calendar atwww.k12k.com for a listing of abbreviated days.HIGH SCHOOL ATTENDANCE PROCEDURES:PERFECT ATTENDANCEPerfect Attendance means no time missed during the school day including tardiness toschool and time away from school during the school day. Pre-approved college daysfor seniors do not count against perfect attendance. For elementary and middle schoolperfect attendance procedures, please contact your school office. Please note that ourend-of-year attendance awards are based on this criterion.32
Page 5: Protection of Pupil Rights Amendmen
Page 8 and 9: K I N G S P O R T C I T Y S C H O O
Page 10: K I N G S P O R T C I T Y S C H O O

Student Handbook - Kingsport City Schools - Website

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?