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Attendance Information

 

General Information

We look forward to educating each student every day at GHS! Our goal for every student is 96% or higher attendance rate. Regular attendance has social and academic impacts on the high school journey, and we want the best outcomes for each Eagle. We also know that accurate attendance coding has implications on students, parents, and the school. We need your help to make sure our attendance coding is as accurate as possible. 

 

All students arriving on campus after 8:40 am are expected to check in through the front attendance office, regardless of the location of their first period class. They will do so through a computer set up with a Raptor system which will record the official times of checking in/out. Students returning to campus during the school day after checking out, are expected to check back in at the front attendance office. 

 

After a student has been absent three times from any class, an attendance letter indicating the dates of the absences will be mailed home. This warning letter will state the 90% attendance requirement for class credit. This is an automated process, but please reach out to the Assistant Principal if you are concerned about truancy or loss of credit. You may email ghsattendance@georgetownisd.org with attendance related needs.

 

Leaving campus

GHS is a closed campus; however, there will be times a student will need to leave campus during the instructional day. When it is necessary for a student to leave campus for any reason, parents are expected to contact the attendance office before the student will be released, regardless of the student’s age. Requests for early dismissal are to be submitted at least 2-3 hours in advance, or as soon as possible, to accommodate for classes involving PE/sports/other campuses. Students will not be released after 3:30 pm, unless the parent notifies the office before 3:00pm. Requests should include the students full name, student id number, specific time, and brief description of the reason. To submit requests for early dismissal, parents may:

  1. Send an email to ghsattendance@georgetownisd.org (preferred)
  2. Call the front attendance office at (512)943-5113
  3. Provide a handwritten note, which your student may hand deliver to the front attendance office
  4. Visit the school by signing in with a picture ID at the front desk and presenting the ID at the front attendance office, per GISD policy. 
 

Absences (partial and/or full days)

Should a student become ill at school, the student should request to see the nurse or a principal who will contact a parent or guardian before the student is allowed to leave campus. 

 

When a student is absent from school for any reason, other than school functions, it is the responsibility of the parent or legal guardian to notify the attendance office before or on the day of the absence. The notification should include the anticipated duration of the absence and a brief reason for the absence. Verification from the absence should be submitted to the attendance office within three days of the absence. This verification serves as the basis for excusing the absence. Please allow up to 48 hours for attendance to be updated once verification has been submitted. At times of higher absent rates or student activities, the time might be longer. Please only submit the documentation one time via one method, unless you notice a mistake that is present on the attendance record after a week of submitting documentation. 

 

Medical Absences 

There are two different medical codings for attendance, MMA/MMA or SSD. If a student is present for part of the day for medical reasons then the medical coding is SSD and does not count toward absence counts for exemptions. If a student is out all day for medical reasons then the medical coding is MMA or MMN and does count toward absence counts for exemptions. A note from a medical provider is needed to update the attendance coding to MMA or SSD. We utilize our sign out/in system to verify a partial day absence, so we ask that all students sign in and out/out and in through the front attendance office Raptor system. 

 

Exemptions and Absences 

Please review the attendance record in skyward to ensure all attendance is coded accurately, and allow time for any corrections that may be needed prior to exemption application deadlines. To be eligible for exemptions in any class students must meet the exemption requirements for that class for that semester. A detailed outline of the GHS Exam Exemption policies can be found HERE. Please pay careful attention to page six which outlines attendance requirements for exemptions and outlines what absences count against exemptions. 

 

Corrections

Documentation from the Teacher of Record/Coach/Sponsor is required to update any attendance coding. There are two ways to correct errors in attendance coding. A student may obtain an attendance check form from any house office, ask the teacher to complete the form, and return the form to the house office or attendance office. A student may have a discussion with the teacher and ask for them to email the correction to the attendance office at ghsattendance@georgetownisd.org. Once the correction is made, the attendance code will be PPO. 

 

Common Occurances

 

Driver’s License: Students are allowed one day to obtain their driving permit and one day to obtain their driver’s license at the Texas Department of Public Safety. The student will need to obtain documentation from TXDPS to excuse the absence. The documentation should include the student's name and date. Please request VOEs (Verification of Enrollment) before the day of your appointment. 

 

College/University/Institute/Career Visits: Students are allowed four days for college visits during their Junior year and four days during their Senior year. The student will need to request a letter from the admissions or recruiting office that verifies participating in a campus or career visit to include the date and the student’s full name. The attendance codes for college visit absences are SSV or ESV and SSP or ESP for career visits. These absences do not count towards absence counts for exemptions.

 

Military Enlistment: Student 17+ allowed up to four days to complete enlistment requirements for the Military. Please submit a dated letter or email from the enlistment office confirming attendance on the office’ letterhead. The attendance code for military related absences is SSA, and these do not count toward absence counts for exemptions. 

 

Please Note: Days spent traveling to a college, career, or military site will count as an absence and against the student in terms of campus mid-term and final exemption practices.

 

Examples of Email Requests

 

Absence Notice (email):

Jane Doe (123456) will be absent all day today 12/18 and 1st period tomorrow 12/19 for doctor’s appointments. 

Early Dismissal Request (email):

Jane Doe (123456) will need to be released tomorrow at 10:30 for a dental appointment.