Wicomico County Board of Education Approval Status Index Code Title: Student Attendance Policy SFS-GEN-PL-019 First Adopted: 08/09/77 Legal Review: 07/29/24 08/13/19 08/01/17 Approved Revisions: 07/30/24 08/13/19 08/08/17 05/13/14 03/14/13 10/10/07 06/11/02 07/12/94 03/10/88 08/01/85 12/13/83 Effective: 07/31/24 07/14/19 08/09/17 05/14/14 03/15/13 10/10/07 06/11/02 07/12/94 03/10/88 08/01/85 12/13/83 08/09/77 Page 5 of 6 WICOMICO COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION , P.O. BOX 1538, SALISBURY, MD 21802 SFS-GEN-PL-019 2. All schools will collect attendance data in terms of race, ethnicity, sex, and grade level. 153 Attendance source documents will be retained in accordance with guidelines outlined in the 154 Maryland Student Records System Manual. 155 3. Students are “present” for a full day when they have attended greater than or equal to 50% of 156 the school day. 157 4. Students are “present” for a partial (half) day when they have attended between 10% and 158 50% of the school day. 159 5. Students are “absent” when they are not physically present on school grounds and not 160 participating in instruction or instruction-related activities at an approved off-grounds 161 location for less than 10% of the school day. 162 6. Students reporting late to school/class when the day/period begins are considered tardy. 163 Leaving school/class before the day/period ends is considered early dismissal. School 164 personnel will designate tardiness and early dismissal as lawful or unlawful and treat it under 165 the same criteria as a lawful or an unlawful absence. 166 7. A student may not leave campus during the day without written consent from their 167 parent/guardian and approval from the designated staff member. 168 8. A parent/guardian must submit a written explanation for an absence within five (5) school 169 days of the student’s return to school from an absence. This written explanation does not 170 constitute the basis for a lawful absence but can be used to assist in the determination 171 process. Parents/guardians will be informed if the absence is determined to be 172 unexcused/unlawful. Written explanations submitted beyond five (5) school days from the 173 student’s return to school will be placed in the student’s attendance file, however the absence 174 will be coded as unlawful. 175 E. Penalties 176 Penalties exist as corrective action to promote good student attendance when excessive absence, 177 early dismissal, and tardiness are verified as unlawful or unexcused. Penalties are outlined in the 178 Wicomico County Code of Conduct. The continuum reflects the age-appropriate application of 179 the disciplinary measure and is based on unexcused and/or unlawful absences, tardies, and early 180 dismissals. 181 F. Make-up Work Requirements 182 a. Any student absent for reasons coded as lawful or unlawful will have the privilege of making 183 up work for credit. 184 b. Participation in class discussion and/or group work that cannot be made up or for which an 185 alternative assignment is not provided will be excused and may not be held against the 186 student. 187 c. The make-up procedure for short-term (five (5) days or less) absence will require the 188 following: 189 i. The student/parent/guardian must request the missed assignments. 190 ii. Teachers are responsible for providing make-up work upon request for students who are 191 lawfully or unlawfully absent. 192
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