Attendance Information
Attendance is an essential component to a student’s academic success. It is important for not only good grades but also future career plans whether that is college or the workforce. Saluda Middle School (SMS) is making a special effort to ensure that all students fully benefit from their education by attending school regularly.
SMS recognizes good attendance is essential to academic success and that absenteeism is a leading indicator as well as a cause of educational inequity. Research shows the clear benefits of regular school attendance, and the high costs related to absenteeism, including students dropping out of high school. While showing up does not guarantee learning, a student who misses class clearly cannot benefit from the instructional opportunity, whether face-to-face or virtually.
However, far too many of our students are at risk academically because they are chronically absent. Chronic absenteeism occurs when a student misses 10 percent of the school year for any reason, excused or unexcused. That is the point at which absenteeism begins to affect student performance.
We, the school, are required to take daily attendance, for all student’s, and notify you when your student is absent. All absences are counted as unexcused until the Attendance Clerk receives a written excuse explaining the reason for the absence. If a written excuse is not received within three days, the absence will permanently be added to your student’s attendance as unexcused. As a reminder, under Saluda Middle School’s attendance policy, students can only miss a total of five (5) days per semester, and only 3 parent notes are accepted. We miss your student when he/she is not in school and we value his/her contributions to SMS. The maximum number of days a student is allowed to miss is TEN (10) per school year (lawful or unlawful). More than 10 absences could result in a referral to Family Court.
For more information, please see the complete State guidelines. https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t59c065.php
Citation: South Carolina Code of Law 59-65-60 and South Carolina Board of Education Requirements
SECTION 59-65-60. Procedure upon receipt by court of report of nonattendance.
(a) Upon receipt of such report, the court may forthwith order the appearance before such court of the responsible parent or guardian and if it deems necessary, the minor involved, for such action as the court may deem necessary to carry out the provisions of this article.
(b) The court may, after hearing upon ten days notice, order such parent or guardian to require such child to attend school and upon failure of such parent to comply with such order may punish such parent or guardian as by contempt, provided that punishment for such contempt cannot exceed fifty dollars or thirty days imprisonment for each offense.
Our efforts to engaging hearts and equipping minds will not matter much if our students are not in school. If you have, any questions please feel free to reach to me at [email protected].
