Excused Absences
A student may be excused for the following reasons:
1. Personal illness
2. Serious illness or death of an immediate family member (Immediate family includes parents or legal guardians, grandparents, siblings, and stepfamily)
3. Special and recognized religious holidays recognized by their faith
4. Mandated order of government agencies
5. Registration to vote (limited to one day)
6. Emergencies which reasonably necessitate absences from school
7. Special events which reasonably necessitate absences from school
8. Days missed from school to visit with his or her parent or legal guardian prior to deployment to or during leave from an overseas assignment to a combat zone or combat support posting, up to a maximum of 5 school days per school year.
In the case that a student’s personal illness or attendance in school endangers
the student’s health or the health of others, the Columbia County Board of Education requires the student to present required documentation upon return to school for the purpose of validating the absence as excused. The school will allow up to five absences with medical excuses per semester on the authority of written parent notes. Following five absences for illness per semester excused by notes written by the parent or guardian, additional absences will be excused only with an original medical excuse signed by a health care professional. Parents must retain copies of all documentation of excuses for the duration of the school year and must present them to the applicable agency or Court upon request. Parents or students who claim that the absence is properly excused bear the burden of providing copies of the medical excuses and/or other documentation of excuses, which may be demanded to be reviewed at any time.
With proper verification, a student may be eligible for hospital/homebound
instruction (S.B.O.E. Rule 160-4-2-.31). Additionally, certain acute health
conditions of the student may warrant a Health Care Plan coordinated by the
school nurse, in concert with the student’s parent and attending physician,
whereby provisions can be made relative to medically based absences for
the student beyond those set forth in this protocol.
In the event of a serious illness in a student’s immediate family, local boards will require students to present appropriate medical documentation regarding the family member
upon return to school for the purpose of validating that the absence is an excused absence.
School days missed as a result of an out-of-school suspension
shall not count as unexcused days for the purpose of determining student truancy.
A student may be excused for the following reasons:
1. Personal illness
2. Serious illness or death of an immediate family member (Immediate family includes parents or legal guardians, grandparents, siblings, and stepfamily)
3. Special and recognized religious holidays recognized by their faith
4. Mandated order of government agencies
5. Registration to vote (limited to one day)
6. Emergencies which reasonably necessitate absences from school
7. Special events which reasonably necessitate absences from school
8. Days missed from school to visit with his or her parent or legal guardian prior to deployment to or during leave from an overseas assignment to a combat zone or combat support posting, up to a maximum of 5 school days per school year.
In the case that a student’s personal illness or attendance in school endangers
the student’s health or the health of others, the Columbia County Board of Education requires the student to present required documentation upon return to school for the purpose of validating the absence as excused. The school will allow up to five absences with medical excuses per semester on the authority of written parent notes. Following five absences for illness per semester excused by notes written by the parent or guardian, additional absences will be excused only with an original medical excuse signed by a health care professional. Parents must retain copies of all documentation of excuses for the duration of the school year and must present them to the applicable agency or Court upon request. Parents or students who claim that the absence is properly excused bear the burden of providing copies of the medical excuses and/or other documentation of excuses, which may be demanded to be reviewed at any time.
With proper verification, a student may be eligible for hospital/homebound
instruction (S.B.O.E. Rule 160-4-2-.31). Additionally, certain acute health
conditions of the student may warrant a Health Care Plan coordinated by the
school nurse, in concert with the student’s parent and attending physician,
whereby provisions can be made relative to medically based absences for
the student beyond those set forth in this protocol.
In the event of a serious illness in a student’s immediate family, local boards will require students to present appropriate medical documentation regarding the family member
upon return to school for the purpose of validating that the absence is an excused absence.
School days missed as a result of an out-of-school suspension
shall not count as unexcused days for the purpose of determining student truancy.