Students are expected to be in class on time and ready to learn. Good attendance correlates strongly with higher grades in school. This communication is important to school culture for academic and behavioral excellence. Please refer to the Grayson High School Handbook pages 18-21 for attendance-related information. 

Students who are on Permissive Transfer MUST NOT have excessive tardies and/or absences. These violations could result in immediate revocation of their permissive transfer. 

Absences 

The day a student returns to school, an excuse note should be taken to the attendance office. The note should include the student’s name, absence date, reason, parent signature, and phone number. Notes must be received within 5 days of the absence. After 5 days, professional documentation is needed. A doctor’s note is required after ten (10) parent notes or when a student is absent 3 or more consecutive days. Doctors offices and parents can fax documentation to(770) 554-1074 or email Grayson.High.Attendance@gcpsk12.org. 

Georgia State Board of Education Rule 160-5-1-10 defines the following absences as excused: 

• Personal illness 
• A serious illness or death in a student’s immediate family 
• A court order or an order by a government agency 
• Observing religious holidays 
• Visitation with a parent prior to or during leave from deployment to a combat zone or combat support posting as a member of the armed forces of the U.S. or the National Guard 

AWOL 

A student is AWOL when absent without official leave from school or class.  A student may not leave school grounds after his/her arrival on campus without the permission of a duly authorized school official.  Students who leave campus without checking out or who are absent without their parent's knowledge will be considered AWOL from school. Students who do not have permission to be out of class are considered AWOL from class. Students absent from class for 10 or more minutes are AWOL. AWOL consequences are as follows:  

1^{st -} 2^nd AWOL - Administrative Conference and Counselor referral  

3 AWOLs - Administrative Conference, Saturday School, and Social Worker referral  

4+ AWOLs - ISS/OSS/loss of extracurricular privileges (ballgames, homecoming, prom)  

Tardies 

Students are considered tardy if they arrive to school or class after the designated late bell has sounded. All students late to school are to report directly to the attendance office at the front entrance. Students tardy to class should report to designated tardy pass areas. Attendance personnel will classify all tardies excused or unexcused and issue a pass to class. Unexcused tardies to school and class are combined for disciplinary purposes and the consequences are as follows:    

1^st - 7^th tardy - Warning  

8^th - 9^th tardy - Administrative Conference, Parent Conference, and Counselor referral  

10^th - 19^th tardy - ISS/loss of extracurricular privileges (ballgames, homecoming, prom, etc.) 

20+ tardies - OSS and SST Meeting with School Social Worker  

Check Out Procedures 

Please report to the attendance office with a picture ID.  You MUST be on the emergency contact list to check-out a student. Check-outs will not be done over the phone. 

In order to expedite check-outs for students that drive, parents should prearrange check-out requests. 

• Parents, please email check-out requests to Grayson.High.Attendance@gcpsk12.org no later than 7:45 a.m. the day of the check-out. Include the student’s name, time of check-out, reason for check-out, and a copy of your driver's license.   
• A prearranged check-out slip will be given to the student. All students must check-out through the attendance office before leaving campus.