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To submit an absence excuse, send an email to NSAbsenceDocumentation@rhmail.org with the document attached.
Student Attendance Information
Attendance for students will be taken on all platforms of instruction offered.
Virtual Academy
Students in the virtual program will follow a schedule just as they would in a traditional brick and mortar school. Teachers in the Virtual Academy will provide face-to-face instruction via live-streaming and digital coursework through computer-based platforms five days a week. Teachers will record attendance daily.
Attendance for a Hybrid Schedule: Onsite/Virtual Instruction
For students participating in the A Day/B Day hybrid schedule, onsite attendance will be determined by students’ physical presence in the classroom; and attendance on remote learning days will be determined by a daily online check-in or completion of teacher-assigned work.
Documentation for All Absences
Students in both the Virtual Academy and those attending school on a hybrid schedule must provide official documentation for any absences to their home school within three days after returning to school. This maybe in the form of a written excuse (signed by a parent/guardian) OR a medical statement. This documentation will be entered and filed in the student’s attendance file in the attendance office at their home school. Documentation does not erase absences; it only states why the student missed school and is consistent with all state law and regulations. To submit an absence excuse, send an email NSAbsenceDocumentation@rhmail.org with the document attached.
Truancy and Chronic Absenteeism
Compulsory attendance laws; and state and federal laws and regulations determining absences for truancy and chronic absenteeism, have not changed and remain applicable for both onsite, virtual and hybrid instruction.
Truancy
A student ages 6 to 17 years meets the definition of a truant when the student:
- Has three consecutive unlawful absences or a total of five unlawful absences.
- In such cases an Attendance Intervention Plan should be developed.
Chronic Absenteeism
A student in grade K-12 meets the definition of chronic absenteeism when the student:
- Misses 50 percent or more of an instructional day for any reason for 10 percent (or more) of their enrollment period.
- All absences contribute to chronic absenteeism including excused, unexcused and OSS.
More district attendance information can be found on the Rock Hill School District website under Attendance.