Student Absences & Late Arrival

  • Early Dismissal for student drivers only!

    Regular attendance and punctuality are important from the beginning of the school year until the last day. Frequent absences and tardies interfere with your child's progress toward learning the necessary basic skills.  Please allow up to 48 hours for your child’s attendance to be updated in the system. 

    *Form is for student drivers only.*

    Early Dismissal Request: EARLY RELEASE FORM LINK

    Note that there will be no dismissal of students after 1:45pm.    

     

    Reporting a student absence: *Student Absence Form - Link*

    Please refrain from submitting multiple absence requests for the same day.

    Once you have submitted the form, please allow 24-96 hours for changes to take place in PowerSchool. No further action is needed.

     

    Excused Absences

    • Personal illness (please state type of illness)

    • Medical appointments (must provide a doctor’s note)

    • Death in family

    • Religious holidays

    • Approved Educational Leave (Submit 5 days in advance)

    • CMS Approved Religious holidays (Submit 2 weeks in advance)

    • Court or Administrative proceedings

    NOTE: Parents can no longer call the office to report a student absence; they must send a note or email to the school in order for the absence to be excused.  Until a note is received by the attendance office, all absences above are unexcused. Please attempt to make all elective medical and dental appointments for times before or after school.

    Unexcused Absences

    • Inclement weather

    • Car trouble

    • Missing the bus

    • Oversleeping

    • No written excuse or email

    • Class cutting

    • Work

    Policy on Late Arrival / Tardy

    When a student is tardy, they must report to Room C218. The ISS teacher will log the tardy and provide them with a pass to class. Students receive 2 free tardies per semester (These should be reserved for emergencies). Any subsequent tardy thereafter, the following will apply:

    3rd Tardy = 30 minutes ASD

    4th tardy = 45 minutes ASD

    5th tardy = 1 hour ASD

    6th tardy = 1 day ISS; parking pass revoked for the semester*

    7th tardy = 2 days ISS

    8th tardy+ = 3 days ISS

    9th tardy = 1 day OSS

    10th tardy = 2 days OSS

    11th tardy = 3 days OSS

    +Any tardy accumulated after the 8th tardy will be considered insubordination and will result in OSS. 

    *Students who drive to school will lose their parking privilege on their 6th tardy. This will result in their losing the privilege to drive to school for the rest of the semester. These students will have to apply second semester and go on the waiting list for a parking spot if one becomes available. There is no guarantee of receiving a space the next semester.

    Truancy

    Students between ages 7 and 16 are required by law to attend school. In addition to the consequences outlined in Rule 1, the student will be required to make up the work missed and may be subject to the district’s recovery procedures. For students with more than 10 unexcused absences, the student and/or parent may be referred for prosecution.


    Rule 1 ATTENDANCE (Citizenship/Responsibility): A student must attend every class every day unless there is a lawful reason for the absence. Students who are tardy, cut school or class or have excessive unexcused absences (more than 10) are in violation of this rule. In addition to any administrative response, students with excessive absences may be required to comply with the district’s recovery procedures. Repeated violations of this rule may also result in Tier II consequences, with the condition that any out-of-school suspension imposed for conduct related solely to violation of this rule is limited to two days per violation. (Students who engage in insubordinate behavior towards an authorized staff member attempting to enforce this rule may also be in violation of Rule 7 and may be punished accordingly, without the two-day limitation on out-of-school suspensions.)

Contact

    • Claudia Trafford

      Attendance Secretary

      claudias.trafford@cms.k12.nc.us

      (980) 344-0514

      Please email Ms. Trafford regarding your child's absence from school.​