Attendance

Student Attendance

POLICY: The Superintendent or designee is responsible for enforcing school attendance of all children subject to the compulsory school age in the Orange County Public Schools (“OCPS”) district and supporting enforcement of school attendance by local law enforcement agencies. The responsibility includes recommending policies and procedures to The School Board of Orange County, Florida (“Board”) that require schools to respond in a timely manner to every unexcused absence, and every absence for which the reason is unknown, of students enrolled in the schools.

Attendance Policy and Procedures

  1. Florida law requires students to attend school until graduation or age 18. The law requires that schools determine excused and unexcused absences on a daily basis. Diligent attendance is crucial for academic success. Strict adherence to the following guidelines is essential:
    1. Cypress Creek High School will make every effort to notify parents upon the 5th unexcused absence.
    2. All absences will be marked as unexcused until a written note is received from the parent within 48 hours of returning to school.
    3. It is permissible to excuse an absence for the following reasons only: a. Illness, injury or other insurmountable condition b. Illness or death of a member of the student’s immediate family c. Recognized (or established) religious holidays and religious instruction d. Medical appointments (please try to schedule appointments after 2:30) e. Participation in an approved activity or class of instruction held at another school site. (field trips, assemblies, etc.) f. Prearranged absences of educational value with the principal’s prior approval g. Head lice infestation (up to four (4) days during the school year) h. Catastrophic disasters that significantly impact the life of the student (loss of residence from natural disaster).
    4. School Board Policy allows one day for each day of excused absence, plus an additional day, to make up work. Students are responsible for make-up work according to their teacher’s instructions.
    5. A doctor’s note must be turned into the attendance office once a student has accumulated three days of absences. *Parent notes can be used to excuse a student’s absence for up to two days consecutively for an illness.
    6. Each student is required to enroll in courses for a full school day. Only the principal is able to grant a waiver for a partial school day.
    7. Students 18 years of age and older must have parent/guardian permission to sign out early from the Attendance Office. All other students must be signed out by an adult identified at their time of registration or by an appropriate written update. Failure to follow proper sign-out procedures will be considered skipping.
    8. Students administratively suspended from school are allowed to make up missed school work. They are allowed to the number of days suspended plus one to make up class work.
    9. No child shall be released 30 minutes prior to the closing of school.
  2. Attendance - Late Arrivals to School:
    1. Students arriving late to school must obtain a tardy pass from the Attendance Office. All students late to first period must have a slip from attendance prior to being allowed to enter class.
    2. Failure to sign in and receive a pass when tardy to school will be regarded as skipping and result in disciplinary action.
    3. Failure to serve teacher or administrative consequences for being tardy may result in further disciplinary action.
    4. Students who repeatedly sign in to school after first period class may be subject to disciplinary action and will not be allowed to make up missed work for credit
  3. Attendance - Tardy to Class:
    1. Work that is missed due to an unexcused tardy may be made up at teacher discretion.
    2. Teachers will notify parents and take other measures to encourage students to be in class on time.
    3. Any student who continues to be late to a class or classes after the parent has been notified and teacher action has proven ineffective, will be considered in open defiance of school policy and subject to consequence as outlined in the Student Code of Conduct.
    4. Every 5 unexcused tardies is considered an unexcused absence, and will be considered as truancy.

Please see the OCPS Attendance Handbook for more information.

Please Click Here for Absence Excuse Letter.