Attendance
- School attendance is essential to a student’s success. Every effort should be made to minimize unexcused absences. We will partner with families to improve student attendance! Please reach out to our school counselors if you are experiencing barriers or challenges getting your student to school. We will partner to create an attendance plan.
- Students who are absent from school may not participate in co-curricular or social activities on the day of that absence.
- It is the responsibility of parents to communicate to the school the reason for all absences.
- If your student is absent for any reason, please submit the absence in your Infinite Campus Parent Portal or contact attendance@thefsi.us
Notification and Excuse Notes
Parents/guardians must notify FSI of an absence, through the Infinite Campus Parent Portal or dropping off a note to the front desk. Submitted absences in portal of handwritten notes must be provided within 48 hours (2 school days) following the student’s return to school, or the absence will be classified and remain as unexcused. Please note that excuse notes will NOT be accepted after this 48-hour deadline for tardies/absences unless it is an official doctor’s note.
The note needs to include
- student’s name and grade
- date(s) of absence to be excused
- reason for absence, early dismissal, or late arrival (tardy)
If a student is absent due to illness for more than five consecutive days, or for more than five days in one quarter, a doctor’s note is required. Doctor’s notes should be hand delivered to the front desk.
“Blanket” notes covering multiple dates of absences, tardies, etc. will not be accepted (for example: “Please excuse my child from all absences in the months of April and May due to illness.”).
Please see below for a list of excused absences.
Excused Absences
The State Department of Instruction defines an excused absence as follows:
- Illness or injury
- Quarantine
- Death in the immediate family
- Medical or dental appointments
- Court or administrative proceedings
- Religious observations
- Educational opportunity: When the student misses school due to a valid educational opportunity and obtains the Principal or Executive Director’s prior written approval. (Note: Educational opportunity leave will not be excused if taken during the first twenty days of school, before/after scheduled school holidays, during the last ten days of school, or for family vacations.) Please refer to the section on Pre-Planned Educational Leave for more information.
All other absences are unexcused or unlawful, including vacations or no reason indicated.
Please note: Students who are ill should remain home to recover. Students who come to school with a temperature of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit, vomiting, or diarrhea, or with an undiagnosed rash, or symptoms of other contagious conditions (including COVID), will be sent home from school and may not participate in school activities until they are symptom free.
Unexcused Absences
In the case of unexcused absences, the school shall make the following attempts to notify the parents/guardians:
- Each day: Automated telephone call to parents notifying them of absence.
- Three days: Written notice will be sent via US mail to parents/guardians.
- Six days: Written notice will be sent via US mail to parents/guardians.
- Ten days: The Executive Director or designee will send written notification of a potential violation of compulsory attendance requirements and of the school’s duty to report the case. A meeting will be requested to determine the cause of the absences, and to establish a plan for better attendance at school.
If the absences remain unexcused and the Director determines that the parent/guardian has not attempted to comply with compulsory attendance law, the case will be referred to the District Attorney’s office in accordance with the Compulsory Attendance Law, G.S. 115C378.
Middle School
Students who miss more than 20 days of school, excused or unexcused, may not be promoted to the next grade level. Students who miss more than 20 days of school may attend Summer School attendance make up. For prolonged illness under the care of a physician, the parent or guardian shall request a waiver from the attendance requirements from the Executive Director.
High School
Students may not make up more than 20 days of absences total. If a student misses more than 20 days of school, the school will convene a multidisciplinary team to make a determination about promotion. The team will review attendance, academic, behavior data and any additional information provided by the student and parents/guardians and issue a final determination.
Tardy and Early Release
Arriving tardy and leaving early from class and/or school impacts student learning! Students need to be at school for the full day to benefit from the educational program.
Late Arrival (tardies)
- Students who arrive after 8:15 am for middle school or after 8:25 am for high school must check in at the front desk and receive a tardy pass. Students will not be admitted to classrooms without a pass.
- Teachers will have marked them absent and that absence can only be corrected by the office. When a student checks in at the office, the absence will be changed to a tardy. If they do not check-in, it remains an absence.
- Students who have been present at school but are tardy for a subsequent class should report directly to their classroom. Teachers will mark the student tardy. If the student does not have an excuse for the tardy, such as a note from the principal, counselor, behavior specialist, nurse, or other school official, the student will also receive a referral and the tardy will be treated as a disciplinary issue.
- For high school, five tardies equal one absence for the class and are subject to the attendance makeup policy.
Early Release
All students are required to check out through the main office prior to leaving campus before dismissal.
- Students under the age of 18 must be checked out by a parent/guardian. Park in visitor parking and come to the main office. We will contact students for early dismissal.
- Students aged 18 and older may sign themselves out. Students must report to the office to sign out.
- Student drivers may sign themselves out with prior written permission from parent/guardian.
Pre-Planned Leave for Educational Purposes – MUST BE APPROVED IN ADVANCE OF THE ABSENCE
Parents should not take their students out of school unless it is an emergency or an extraordinary learning experience. Franklin students actively engage in learning experiences that are not easily replicated outside the classroom or at home.
Especially at middle and high school levels, excessive absences put the student at risk of falling behind academically.
Pre-planned Leave for Educational Purpose is intended to be used for unique learning opportunities that can only occur at a scheduled time (during the school year). Examples include participation in a competition or a selective learning experience.
It cannot be used to excuse a child for a family vacation, reunion or recreational trip.
Pre-planned Leave will be denied during the first month of school since classroom norms, expectations and routines are being developed at that time. Pre-planned Leave will also be denied during planned statewide testing, including EOGs, EOCs, and the ACT Readiness exams.
Middle School
Students are allowed 5 days of excused, planned absences for educational purposes during the course of the school year. Note that students may not miss more than 20 days of school, excused or unexcused, to be promoted. While these are excused absences, parents need to be aware of the total number of absences their child has accumulated. If they exceed 15, the Pre-planned Educational Leave will not be approved.
High School
Students are allowed up to 5 days of excused, planned leave absences during the course of the school year. Visits to colleges are a good example of an approved educational absence. While these are excused absences, parents need to be aware of the total number of absences their child has accumulated and of the expectations for attendance makeup. Excused Absence for College Visit form
The steps for requesting a Planned Leave for Educational Purposes are as follows:
- At least 2 weeks in advance of the date of the pre-planned leave, turn in a request form to the Division Principal. The forms are available in the office or can be found here.
- The form must be filled out with the dates and purpose of the leave and include a brief description of the nature of your leave that includes the educational activities taking place.
- Return the form to the Division Principal, along with a plan to make up any required work. After the plan has been developed, sign the form and attach the plan which will be considered by the Principal for approval.
- Students are responsible for making up work missed during the absence. Students (with parent/guardian support) should arrange plans with their teachers for how work will be completed and when the work is due.
- The following guidelines should be considered when requesting a Planned Educational Leave:
- Students and parents are responsible for talking with their teachers and getting their work (or if pre-approved their special project) prior to the last day of school before the Educational Leave. Responsibility for Learning is an EL Design Principle, and an important trait to develop for college and career readiness.
- Teachers are not responsible for giving students tutoring due to days missed with a planned absence; if needed, students and parents are responsible for obtaining a tutor on their own.
- Tests, major projects, research papers, and quizzes given during the student’s absence must be turned in/made up by the 5th day after a student returns. Failure to make up the tests and quizzes will negatively impact assessments / grades.
- Students may be required to make up their work either during break time or after school if no other time is available during the day.
NOTE: Any pre-planned leave beyond the 5 allowed days will be unexcused.
Make-Up Work
One of Franklin’s Habits of Scholarship is “Action”. One way that students are expected to demonstrate action and the EL Education Design Principle of “Responsibility for Learning” is by making up homework and material missed due to absences. While teachers are expected to support and assist students, the responsibility belongs to the student. Students should coordinate with teachers to arrange for completion of assignments in a timely manner. In the case of a planned absence, students may work with their teachers to obtain work in advance. For prolonged illness under the care of a physician, the parent, guardian, or custodian shall request a waiver from the attendance requirements from the Executive Director or designee.
Student Drivers
Students may lose their driving privileges if they:
- Are academically ineligible for a given grading period;
- Park in areas other than the designated parking zone;
- Drive in a dangerous or reckless manner;
- Are truant;
- Exceed five (5) unexcused tardies or three (3) unexcused absences;
- Cut a class or lunch period;
- Transport other students off school grounds during the day;
- Leave school grounds during the day without authorized permission
- Loiter in the parking lot during the day;
- Give their car keys to another student;
- Drive to school without an official school driving tag.
