Clemmons Elementary School

There is no substitute for the uninterrupted personal contact between teachers and students in the classroom environment where learning experiences are carefully planned by the teachers. Even though students may make up class work missed because of absences, they may never be able to replace the educational, cultural and social contacts which they would have experienced through face to face instruction and class participation. Students with good attendance generally achieve higher levels of learning than those with poor attendance.

Teachers shall instruct students to bring a written explanation signed by a parent or guardian upon returning to school after an absence.   To determine whether an absence is excused or unexcused the teacher must know the reasons recognized by the State Board of Education. The following are the valid/lawful excuses for temporary nonattendance of a student:

Excused Absences:  In accordance with the rules and regulations of the State Board of Education, the following conditions shall constitute valid reasons for excused absences.

  Illness or injury
  Quarantine
  Death in the immediate family
  Medical or dental appointments
  Court or administrative proceedings
  Religious observances
  Educational opportunity
  Local School Board Policy

For more information, please view the Student Parent Handbook

Unexcused Absences:

For students who are entitled to attend public school and who have enrolled in a public school, Unlawful absence is defined as:

1. A student's willful absence from school with or without the knowledge of the parent;

     Or

2. A student's absence from school for any reason other than those listed in Chapter 2, Section IV.D., under "Lawful Absences."

3. When students are not permitted to attend school because they lack proper immunization.

Unexcused Tardiness and Early Departures

• Tardiness is defined as arriving to class or school after the scheduled time for class or school to begin. A tardy is considered "unexcused" unless there is a valid reason for being late. Valid reasons for being late include, but are not limited to, the reasons for an excused absence as defined above as well as circumstances beyond the control of the student such as when a teacher or staff member detains a student.
• Unexcused early departure is defined as the removal of a student from school prior to the end of the instructional day without a valid reason for an excused absence as defined above.
• When tardiness or early departure is considered an absence.  If a student misses more than fifty percent (50%) of a school day, the student will be considered absent from school, except as provided in Section IV, paragraph E. 
• Excessive Tardiness and Unexcused Early Departures.    An accumulation of five (5) unexcused tardies or five (5) unexcused early departures, as defined above, shall be equal to one unexcused absence for the purpose of enforcing the compulsory attendance law and the provision of this regulation for addressing a student's excessive absences.