Attendance

  • It is the belief of the Homewood City Board of Education that regular school attendance positively impacts student achievement; therefore, we believe it is in the best interest of your child to attend school regularly. Furthermore, regular school attendance is mandated by The Compulsory School Attendance Law of the State of Alabama, Title 15, Section 28-12, Code of Alabama, 1975. School administrators are required under state law to enforce this law. Furthermore, student attendance is a standard that the Alabama State Department of Education uses to assess a district’s accountability.

    When absences occur, a written, excusable explanation must be provided to the school for each absence within three school days from the day the student returns to school. Failure to provide this explanation will result in the student being considered unexcused for the missed days. Please review the Attendance Policy section of the Homewood City Schools Code of Conduct. Absences from school could lead to loss of credit for the courses in which the student is enrolled. To assist you in monitoring your child’s attendance, a letter will be sent when a student has reached at least three (3) unexcused absences. Should your child acquire at least five (5) unexcused absences, a second notification letter requesting a conference with the truancy office for Homewood City Schools will be sent. Upon the seventh (7th) unexcused absence during this academic school year, the student and parent will be referred to the Jefferson County Family Court Truancy Intervention Program.

    In many cases, absences from school are unavoidable due to health problems or other circumstances. However, chronic absenteeism can have a drastic impact on your child’s education. According to the national organization Attendance Works, children chronically absent in kindergarten and first grade are much less likely to learn to read by the end of third grade. Once students enter sixth grade, chronic absences are an early warning sign of a drop-out. By ninth grade, attendance is a better graduation predictor than your child’s eighth grade test scores.  This letter serves as an awareness tool for your family. We want your child to be successful in school, and regular attendance is an important part of that success.

    It is our sincere desire that all of our students achieve their highest level of academic excellence. We believe that regular school attendance is an essential aspect of academic achievement, and we ask that you help your child attain that success by insisting upon regular school attendance. Thank you very much for your partnership in this matter.

    Attendance Information - Homewood City Schools believes that regular school attendance is important to all students as regular attendance is essential for a student’s successful progress in the instructional program.  

    Nothing hinders student success more than absences, tardies, and check ins/check outs. The Homewood Board of Education sets as a guideline to allow up to five absences excused by parent-written notes for student illness or vacation travel per year, and sets a guideline to additionally allow up to five principal’s permission excused absences per school year for extenuating family circumstances.

    Excused Absences
    According to the Alabama State Department of Education, excused absences are defined as:  

    1. Illness
    2. Death in immediate family
    3. Inclement weather 
    4. Legal quarantine
    5. Emergency conditions as determined by the principal
    6. Prior permission of the principal and consent of the custodial parent or legal guardian (a parent's prior notification to the school does not automatically excuse the absence).

    When a student returns to school, a parent/guardian must provide in writing the cause of the student’s absence no later than three school days. A failure to provide an explanation will be evidence of the child being truant each day the child is absent. 

    Unexcused Absences
    Any absences not excused shall be considered unexcused. Seven unexcused absences within a school year constitute a student being truant for the purpose of filing a petition with the Jefferson County Juvenile Court Early Warning System. School administrators are required under state law to enforce compulsory school attendance laws (Compulsory School Attendance Law of the State of Alabama, § 16-28-3; Act:  2009-564 Ala. Code, 1975).

    Administrators and teachers will make every effort to promote regular attendance by students and solicit assistance from parents/guardians in accomplishing this objective. Students involved in school related activities sanctioned by school administrators are counted as attending. To participate in extracurricular activities after school, students must have been in attendance at school that day.

    Make-Up Work
    If a student is absent for an excused reason, the student should make arrangements with the teacher the day the student returns to school to make up missed work.  

    Check-Ins and Check-Outs
    Any student who arrives after school has begun must go to the office and check in. Students who have a valid need to leave school before the dismissal bell must be checked out through the office. Students must be signed out by the parent/guardian in accordance with school procedures. The principal has the responsibility of making decisions relating to checkouts. Such a decision shall be made in the best interest of the student when emergencies or unusual circumstances arise.

    To review Homewood City Schools' full attendance policy, please visit the Code of Conduct.