Mandatory School Attendance

As mandated by the Henry County Board of Education and the State Board of Education

“When you miss school, you miss out!”

Frequent absences, tardies, and/or checkouts from school are detrimental to the academic success of individual students and classmates.  Students should arrive at school on time and should remain in school for the complete school day. 

Truancy

Based on Georgia Law (20-2-690.1) and State Board of Education Rule (JB), any child between the ages of 6 and 16 who during the school calendar year has more than five days of unexcused absences from school will be considered truant. The legal penalties and consequences for truancy include referral of parents, guardians, or custodians to State Court and referral of juveniles to Juvenile Court for prosecution.

Attendance

Any student that is absent from school must bring a handwritten note or a medical doctor’s excuse the first day he/she returns to school for the absence to be excused. Please review the list of excused absences in the HCS Student Handbook.

We will only accept 5 handwritten notes from home as excused absences for the entire year. After 5 handwritten notes or a total of 10 days absent, a medical doctor’s excuse will be required to excuse any absence. In addition, if a student is absent due to a sickness resulting in 3 or more days absent, a medical doctor’s note will be required to excuse the absence. 

If a student is absent due to a death in the immediate family, a funeral program or a copy of the obituary is required to excuse the absence of no more than three days. 

Tardies and Early Checkouts

Any student who is not in class by 7:35 a.m. is considered tardy. All check-ins after 7:35 a.m. will be unexcused unless you have a medical doctor/dentist excuse. All checkouts will be unexcused unless we receive a medical doctor/dentist excuse the first day the student returns.

Parents of students with excessive absences, tardies, or checkouts may be required to attend a meeting to set-up an attendance contract. Excessive unexcused tardies and early checkouts will be referred to the Henry County Courts for consideration for prosecution.

Thank you in advance for ensuring that your child has regular and punctual school attendance.

Transportation Changes

Transportation changes must be received in writing with a signature of the enrolling parent / legal guardian. We cannot accept phone calls, e-mails, or text messages as a change of transportation. Any change of transportation must be received before 1:30 pm. 

• Click on http://hdcedlog.henry.k12.ga.us/liveweb/webquery/ 

• Type in your street address and press the enter key on your keyboard.
  

• View the schoos listed in the "School Name" column.

• Click on the link in the "School Code" column to obtain bus route information.