The first School Improvement/SAC meeting for the 2010/2011 School Year  will be held on

Tuesday, September 14th at 6:30 PM.

 All parents and community stakeholder are welcome to attend.

LHS Attendance Policy 2010-2011

Regular attendance to school is most important for success.  Establishing good attendance and punctual habits now will carry over when you go to work.  Any student who during the trimester misses six (6) days, or 10% of a regularly scheduled class due to unexcused absences is required to take a competency exam in order to show subject mastery in the course.  If a student fails the competency exam, he or she will receive an F in the course and will not receive credit. 

Any student who is absent must bring a note from his or her parent or guardian within 48 hours of returning to school stating the date(s) of the absence and the reason for the absence.  Absences will only be excused if they are for a reason set forth as excusable in district policy.  This includes absences from class that are a result of checking-out of school.  Please remember that at the high school level attendance is taken on a by period basis.  A note from a parent or guardian does not guarantee that an absence will be excused.  Parent/guardian notes will only be accepted for five (5) days of absence during a trimester.  Any other absences during the trimester will require other documentation such as a doctor or dentist note, military excusal form, proof of death in family, etcetera.  Absences must be excused in order for students to have the opportunity to make up the work they have missed.  Students have two days (2) for every day they have been absent to complete missing work from an excused absence.  Parent notes are not accepted to excuse tardiness to school.

Absences may be excused for the following reasons only:

a)   Illness of the student – Parent/guardian notes are acceptable for up to five (5) days in a trimester for student illness.

b)   Death in the family

c)   Emergency in the family (must have administrator approval)

d)   Religious holiday of the specific faith of the student

It is also important to know that Florida law requires the school district to report when a student accumulates fifteen (15) unexcused absences in a 90 calendar day period.  When this information is received by the state of Florida the student will lose his or her driver’s license and will be required to have thirty days (30) of perfect attendance in order to be eligible to have the license reinstated.

In addition, students who exhibit patterns of poor attendance will be referred to the Truancy Intervention Program (TIP) for additional measures related to improving attendance and achievement.

Pre Arranged Absences: Absences that are planned in advanced may be approved if they are for educational purposes or for some family situations only if a student’s overall attendance is otherwise excellent.  Pre arranged absences count as parent note days.  Students whose families are leaving the area for work purposes before the end of the school year will only be approved if their attendance throughout the year has been acceptable.  Many privileges and opportunities at LHS are based on good attendance at school.