State Attendance Rule 160-5-1-10 states that students will be excused from school under the following circumstances:

1. Personal illness or attendance at school endangers a student's health or the health of others.

2.  A serious illness or death in a student's immediate family necessitates an absence from school.

3. A court order or an order by a governmental agency, including pre-induction physical examinations for service in the armed forces, mandating absence from school.

4. Observing religious holidays, necessitating absence from school.

5. Conditions rendering attendance impossible or hazardous to student health or safety.
**Note: This decision is made only by Dr. Calvin Watts, Superintendent of Gwinnett County Public Schools.

6. A period not to exceed one day is allowed, at the discretion of the local unit of administration, for registering to vote or voting in a public election.

7. Visiting with a parent or legal guardian prior to or during leave from deployment to a combat zone or combat support posting as a member of the armed forces of the United States or the National Guard (maximum of five school days per year).

• If a senior must go on a college visit during a school day, the “College Visit Form” should be completed prior to the absence related a college visit.
• The form is completed in parts by teachers and parents prior to the college visit.  During the college visit, a college official will sign the form to validate the senior’s visit.
• The form is turned into at Attendance desk upon return to school.
• In order to avoid falling behind academically, it is recommended that college visits take place during non-school days or weekends.

Non-School Activities for Which Students Are Counted Present:

• Students will be counted as present when they are serving as pages of the Georgia General Assembly.
• Students who are in a foster home or otherwise in the foster care system under the Division of Family and Children Services of the Department of Human Services will be counted present for any day, a portion of a day or days missed from school when at­tending court proceedings related to that student’s foster care.
• Full-time high school students who participate in a Student Teen Election Participant (STEP) program shall be counted as present and given full credit for the school day during which he or she serves as a volunteer to work as a poll officer during any primary, special, or general election. Participating students may be counted as present for up to two days within the school year.

Absent/Tardy Form

To document an absence or tardy attendance (pre-arranged or after the event), you may print this form and turn it in at the Attendance desk just inside the front door of the school.  This form will be available in paper form also at:

• Attendance desk
• Front Office
• 9^th and 10^th Grade Student Support Office
• 11^th & 12^th Grade Student Support Office
• Counseling Office 

Absences and tardies to school are noted in the form. If you have additional documents to provide, just attach them to the form. 

Absence/Tardy Form

Written notification of a pre-arranged check out must be turned in by 7:30 am on the morning of the checkout.  If not using the “Absent/Tardy Form” to notify the school of the pre-arranged absence, the note provided must include ALL of the following information:

• Student’s first and last name
• Student’s school ID number
• Reason for checking out
• Time of check out
• Signature of a parent/guardian listed as a contact in the student information system
• Contact number of parent/guardian listed as a contact in the student information system

**Please Note: All pre-arranged checkouts must be verified with a phone call before a student will be allowed to leave campus. 

In order to maintain a positive learning environment, checks outs are not permitted after 1:30 pm on regular school days.  
Checkouts are not permitted on exam days.