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Attendance

Please send doctors' excuses and notes to the office as soon as your child returns to school.  Also, please check our Student Handbook for number of allowed absences.  You may also call our Student Information Specialist at 803.684.1942 to check the number of school days your child has missed.

York School District One will comply with these laws and regulations as set forth by the Local and State Boards of Education, SC CODE R43-274, SC CODE 59-65-90 and the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974.

  1. Students are expected to attend school each day in accordance with the approved school calendar. Students should not be tardy or leave school early except for extreme and unavoidable circumstances
  2. If a student is absent from school, the parent/guardian must send a note to the school explaining the absence within 3 days of the student returning to school. If the school has not received a written excuse from the parent/guardian within 3 school days of the student’s return, the absence(s) may be recorded as “UNLAWFUL.”
  3. Students that miss school due to a death in the family should send a note to the school stating the reason for the absence, the name of the deceased, and documentation verifying the death (i.e., newspaper clipping or funeral program).
  4. Students who are out of school for medical reasons should provide the school with a doctor’s note upon returning to school. If a student is out due to illness and returns to school with a doctor’s note, the absences will be recorded as “MEDICAL.”
  5. For yearlong courses, after ten lawful or unlawful absences, or any combination of the two, the principal of the school will approve or disapprove each succeeding absence. For semester courses, after five lawful or unlawful absences, or any combination of the two, the principal of the school will approve or disapprove each succeeding absence. The school will be allowed to “EXCUSE” no more than 10 school days with a parent/guardian note. Parent/guardian notes sent after the 10th day will be recorded as “UNLAWFUL” (unless for bereavement – see #3).
  6. In accordance with the law, excessive absences can determine a student’s promotion or retention status
  7. Attendance letters will automatically be sent out to each parent when a child has reached the 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 10th day of absences – excluding medical (by doctor’s note only) and bereavement (3 days maximum).

TRUANCY: The attendance laws state that a Truant Child is defined as “A child ages 6 to 17 years that has accumulated 3 consecutive unlawful absences or a total of 5 unlawful absences.” Schools are required by law to have a face-to-face meeting with every parent/guardian of a Truant Child and develop an “Attendance Intervention Plan.” Parent(s)/Guardian(s) who fail to attend the scheduled Intervention Plan meeting or refuse to cooperate with the intervention planning may be referred to Family Court in accordance with SC CODE 59-65-50, and a report may be filed against the parent(s)/guardian(s) with the Department of Social Services in compliance with SC CODE Ann 20-7-490(2)(c)(Supp. 2002).