All students who are absent will be marked “unexcused” (“U”) by the teacher of record until the parent/guardian notifies the school’s office personnel of the reason for the absence in writing via handwritten note turned in to the front office OR this electronic submission system. Failure to notify the school of a valid absence reason (as noted below) via note or electronic submission within three (3) days of the last day of an absence will cause the absence to remain recorded as “unexcused”. In the case of excessive or extended absences which are claimed to be due to illness the parent/guardian should provide documentation (i.e. doctor’s statement, doctor’s note) of a student’s illness. Excessive or extended absences are considered five (5) in one month or ten (10) in one semester, or a history of excessive absences per class period. Absences that meet the threshold of excessive as defined above will require a doctor’s note. If doctor’s notes are not provided, absences will remain recorded as unexcused. In the highly unusual case of an administratively pre-approved student absence, it is suggested that the student requests their make up work from their teachers before leaving on their approved absence. Student attendance at the secondary level (middle and high school) is counted for period by period. State of Florida approved, valid (excusable) absence reasons include: a. Illness of student. b. Major illness in the immediate family of the student (immediate family is determined as parents, brothers, sisters, grandparents, aunts, uncles, legal guardians or persons in loco parentis, or a member of one’s own household). c. Death in the immediate family of the student. d. Religious holiday of the student’s faith (including Yom Kippur, Rosh Hashanah, Epiphany, etc.) e. Religious instruction (including Bar/Bat Mitzvah, Confirmation, etc.) f. Religious institutes, conferences, or workshops, provided that the principal or designee approves the absence in advance. g. Absences for trips or other parental requests which are determined to be educationally relevant for the student by the principal or designee, provided that the requests are approved in advance. h. In-school or out-of-school Suspension. i. Subpoena or forced absence by any law enforcement agency. A copy of the subpoena or court summons must be submitted to the school. j. Issues and occasions specific to military families. How does attendance impact On Track status? Students who have more than two (2) absences, excused or unexcused, in a quarter will lose their "On Track" status for the given quarter. On Track status appeals are handled by administration on a case by case basis and can be filed by emailing or sending a letter to the principal directly. How does attendance impact school sports and other activities? Students who have more than six (6) unexcused absences* in a quarter or ten (10) unexcused absences in a semester, or is absent ten (10) or more days in a single course in a semester will have a loss of privilege. This excludes prior administrative approval of religious observances or approved School Related Activities absences. The loss of privilege includes participating in extracurricular activities open only to students. This includes, but is not limited to, dances, field trips and participation in athletics, until the end of the following grading period/quarter. Use of the Student Absence Reporting Form below indicates that you understand the description above. Please refer to Pasco County Schools’ Student Code of Conduct “Attendance” section, page 9, for more information regarding attendance policies and procedures. Student Code of Conduct: http://www.pasco.k12.fl.us/library/student_services/conduct/csc_eng.pdf Report Student Absence Parent/Guardian may report an absence using this form. Attendance excusals are updated manually by office staff and may take up to five (5) school days to show in the myStudent portal. Also changes or updates to parent/guardian email or phone information is not processed via this form.