State law requires school attendance for students ages 7 to 16. Gwinnett County Board of Education Policy states that students will be excused from school under the following circumstances:

1. Personal illness or illness/death in the immediate family.
2. Religious holiday.
3. Mandates by government agencies.
4. Service as a page in the General Assembly.
5. Military physical or doctor’s appointment.
6. Conditions rendering attendance impossible or hazardous to student health or safety.

Parent notes will be accepted for up to seven 7 excused all-day absences per semester and seven 7 check-ins or check-outs per term. Thereafter, the only excused reasons for absences, check-ins, and check-outs are those listed above and verified through the following formal documentation: Doctor or hospital notes, court or government mandated papers, funeral brochures or programs. Excused documentation should be submitted to the attendance office within 5 days of returning to school.

Absences or tardies/check-ins are unexcused for all other reasons, including but not limited to:

1. Missing the bus, oversleeping, parent/guardian schedule.
2. Vacations, trips, family visits, college visits (two per semester, approved by the Attendance Office).
3. Student employment, babysitting, running errands, and traffic congestion.

If the student has no note, he/she will be considered as having an unexcused absence or check-in.

After a total of five (5) unexcused absences, students may be considered truant and in violation of local and state law. Parents of truant students may have legal ramifications according to the GCPS county attendance policy. After ten(10) consecutive absences, a student may be administratively withdrawn.

In the event that parents need students to miss school for personal reasons (trips, college visits, vacations, etc.), the student should complete Prearranged Absence Form at least three days prior to the absence. Forms may be obtained in the attendance office or printed below. The request will be reviewed by an administrator for approval or denial. If approved, the student will be allowed to make up work missed., although the absence will still be considered unexcused. Students are limited to five prearranged days per year. Prearranged absences are not to be used on exam days.

Pre-Arranged Absence Form

Return to School from an absence or when checking in: 

When returning to school, students should either bring documentation to the attendance office or parents can email  the attendance office. The student name and student ID number should be included on all documentation as well as the parent contact phone number for verification. Field trips, In-School Suspensions (ISS) and/or school-sponsored events are not considered absences. Out-of-School Suspensions (OSS) are considered as absences but are not counted for the excessive absence policy. The following are valid reasons for absences or late check-ins according to the Georgia Department of Education:

1. Personal illness of the student or when attendance in school would endanger the health of the student or the health of others. Upon the student’s return to school, appropriate medical documentation may be required within three days of the absence
2. Serious illness or death in student’s immediate family necessitating the absence. In the case of serious illness, students are required to present medical documentation to validate the absences as an excused absence within three days of the student’s return to school.
3. Court order by a governmental agency mandating the student’s absence from school.
4. Special or recognized religious holidays observed by the faith of the student.
5. Weather or environmental conditions rendering attendance impossible or hazardous to the student’s health or safety.
6. An absence not to exceed one (1) day for registering to vote.

To Check out Early: 

Once a student arrives on campus, he or she may not leave without receiving proper authorization (checking-out), from the Attendance Office. Students are only allowed to check out with individuals listed on the student's profile. There will be no check-outs after 1:30 PM. 

• Students must bring a signed note to the Attendance Clerk (Front Lobby) before school begins.
  • The note must include the student's full name and student ID number, a parent signature, and a phone number where the parent can be reached.
  • The time missed from class will be excused or unexcused based on the criteria listed below. 

It is the responsibility of the student to request make-up work within five days after an excused absence. Students are responsible for getting all make-up work completed within the time frame set by the teacher. Failure to do so will result in a “0” for all work missed.

• 1st, 2nd, and 3rd TARDY:  Warning/Parent Contact
• 5th TARDY: Administrative Conference and Parent Contact
• 6th TARDY: Administrative 1-Hour Detention, parent contact
• 8th TARDY: Administrative 2-hour Detention, parent contact
• 10th TARDY: Administrative 2-hour Saturday school, parent contact
• 12th TARDY: Administrative 2-hour Saturday school, parent contact
• 14th TARDY: 1 Day of ISS / Loss of privileges (Parking pass, etc..)
• 16th TARDY: 2 Days of ISS / Loss of privileges (Parking pass, etc..)

Administrative Referral/ISS/OSS/loss of extracurricular privileges including but not limited to athletics, Homecoming, Prom (Loss of Student Parking for the Semester)

After 10 minutes late, you are now considered AWOL instead of tardy

• 1st Class AWOL: Administrative Referral/ 1 or 2-hour Detention and Parent Contact
• 2nd Class AWOL: Administrative Referral/ 2-hour Saturday School and Parent Contact
• 3rd Class AWOL: Administrative Referral/ 4-hour Saturday School and Parent Contact
• 4th Class AWOL: Administrative Referral/ISS/OSS/loss of extracurricular privileges including but not limited to athletics, Homecoming, Prom and Social Worker Referral
• 5+ AWOL: Administrative Referral/Rule 10 Contract Violation Consequences

• 1st school AWOL: Administrative Referral/ 2-hour Saturday School and Parent Contact
• 2nd School AWOL: Administrative Referral/ 4-hour Saturday School and Parent Contact
• 3rd School AWOL: Administrative Referral/ 1 Day ISS and Parent Contact
• 4th School AWOL: Administrative Referral/ISS/OSS/loss of extracurricular privileges including but not limited to athletics, Homecoming, Prom and Social Worker Referral
• 5+ School AWOL: Administrative Referral/Rule 10 Contract Violation Consequences