School Attendance Matters - Final Post

Mornings can oftentimes be a challenge for one person trying to get out the door for school or work. So when there are multiple adults and kids in the house to get ready each morning, that challenge is multiplied without good planning and a routine.  Without those things, tardies to school are often the result.  Tardies to school not only will result in eventual disciplinary action, but can dramatically affect a student's entire school day to follow.  Check-outs on the back end of the day have a similar disruptive effect.

The Jefferson County Board of Education has amended its tardy and checkout policy for the the 2018-2019 school year.  The policy states:

Tardies to School / Check-outs from School

Being tardy to school greatly affects student success and routine.  Tardies include late arrivals to school and early check-outs.  The school may impose disciplinary procedures for excessive tardies as detailed in this code. A parent may excuse up to seven (7) tardies per year for the same reasons an absence may be excused.  Any tardy after seven (7) have been excused by parent note will be unexcused unless excused by a physician or the principal.

While check-outs from school are discouraged by the Board, necessary check-outs must be processed through the school’s office by the parent. The Board encourages that appointments not of a critical nature be scheduled for times and days when school is not in session. Check-outs are considered excused for the same reasons as excused absences. An unexcused check-out will be treated as a tardy.  A student may not make up work that is missed due to an unexcused tardy, check-in or check-out.

As our entire Attendance Matters series has emphasized, we want our kids at school.  Every student, every day.  We know, however, that is not always possible.  We are asking families to help us this year and help your student this year by being on time to school each day and limit the number of check-outs he/she may have to the minimum number possible.

Arriving at school on time allows a students to enter relaxed and sets them up positively for the work day ahead.  Students who are late to school miss out on important announcements from the teacher or from the office that may affect them later in the day.  They miss out on the beginning of instruction impacting their ability to complete work in a timely or successful fashion.  And finally, with middle school students, it helps them avoid the unnecessary and unwanted negative attention for arriving late to school on a regular basis.

I am a father of a herd of boys.  I get it.  They can be challenging to deal with in regards to getting out of bed, getting bathed and dressed, eating, making sure they had everything they needed for not only class, but after school activities.  I understand.  But the reality is (if we are truly honest), most tardies for elementary and middle school students are not a student issue.  They are an adult issue.  These kids can't drive.  Like it or not, for students this age, it generally comes down to adjustments made by the adults in the home, not the children.

School begins at 7:55 A.M. each day.  This year, we will open the car line doors for the gym at 7:25 and close them at 7:50.  Students will be released to their classrooms from morning supervision at 7:45 to go to their lockers and the restroom before reporting to their first period class.  Please start thinking about your morning schedules now.  Help establish routines that will help your student start each day successfully.  If you are pulling in on two wheels at 7:54, your student is going to be late to class.  If a student is late to school, AN ADULT must sign them in to school in the main office.

Likewise, excessive check-outs from school where students miss academic coursework can be problematic.  We have worked to craft our schedule where our advisory time is at the end of the day from 2:30 - 3:05.  This would be an ideal time IF . . . IF the student had to check out, he or she would not miss major work.  Please work to schedule appointments during this time if at all possible.  Also, please do not park in the newly paved lot in front of the school after 2:30 to check out a student or you risk being blocked in by the buses.

As a reminder, a high school sibling is not permitted to check out a middle school sibling from school except in the case of an extreme emergency as approved by the principal.  Families ask me why that is?  Well, there are two reasons. First, I'm really not supposed to release a minor child into the custody of another minor child.  Second, the high school student should be in school, too.  This again is not generally a kid issue, but an adult issue over which we usually have control.

Finally, it is important to remember to bring excuses to the school if the check-in or check-out was for a doctor or court visit.  No make-up work will be permitted for unexcused absences.

We hope that this break-down in the Attendance Matters series has been helpful in communicating our policy and procedures to you.  Please call us at 205-379-3230 or you can e-mail me at mmanning@jefcoed.com.  Thank you for learning with us!