Attendance & Truancy

ATTENDANGE MATTERS Missing a day of school here and there may not seem like much, but absences add up! When a student misses -→ydays a amontn.. They will miss 20 DAYS a year. They will miss 30 HOURS of math over the school year. They will miss 60 HOURS of reading & writing over the school year. They will miss over 1 YEAR of school by graduation. When a student misses mona. They will miss 40 DAYS a year. They will miss 60 HOURS of math over the school year. They will miss 120 HOURS of reading & writing over the school year. They will miss over 2 YEARS of school by graduation.

Dear Parents and Students, As we embark the 24-25 school year, we’d like to emphasize a crucial element of academic success: regular school attendance. September is Attendance Awareness Month, a time dedicated to recognizing the vital role that consistent school attendance plays in our students' overall academic achievement and personal development. Our Goals for Attendance Awareness Month: 1. Promote Awareness: We aim to help everyone understand the importance of regular attendance and the long-term benefits it provides. 2. Encourage Consistency: We want to support our students and families in making every school day count. 3. Provide Support: We are here to assist families facing challenges that may impact attendance and work together to find solutions. Upcoming Events and Initiatives: To support Attendance Awareness Month, we will be hosting several events and activities throughout September, including a monthly newsletter highlighting tips for parents and student to help promote positive attendance habits and an attendance awareness video creation contest. Please stay tuned for more information on these events. Together, we can do this. By prioritizing regular attendance, we ensure that every student has the opportunity to achieve their full potential. Thank you for your continued support and dedication to our students' success. Sincerely, Vanessa Badger-Johnson Truancy Officer Allendale County School District badgerv@acs.k12.sc.us

What is Truancy? South Carolina law requires children age 5-17 attend school. Children should attend a home, private, and or public school every weekday. Parents and or guardians are held responsible for a child's attendance. If a child is truant parents can be jailed or fine. Children who are considered truant may also face criminal charges. Based on why a child is missing school, an absence will be categorized as either lawful or unlawful. A child is typically considered a truant if he has three unlawful absences in a row or five unlawful absences in one year.

Lawful Absences

  • seriously ill students whose attendance would be bad for their health or the health of other students

  • when there is a death or serious illness of a student’s immediate family member

  • missing school because of a religious holiday

  • going to necessary doctor’s appointments

  • absences approved by the principal in advance for sports or band trips the student participates in.


Unlawful Absences

  • absences you don’t know about;

  • absences you know about but are not considered by the school as a good reason for missing school

  • skipping school. (You are responsible for your child's attendance even if he skips school without your knowledge.)

Tips to Avoid Truancy

  1. Contact your child’s school if your child must miss school

  2. Put the reason your child missed school in a note. Send a doctor’s note, if you have one. You should also turn in the note in as soon as possible, or the note may not help the absence count as lawful.

  3. Keep a copy of the note for yourself. If you do not contact your child’s school about the absence, it will be an unlawful absence no matter what the reason.

Ways We Help You Reduce Truancy

Home Visits/Meetings

Written Messages/Emails

Intervention Plan

Truancy Officer: Vanessa Badger badgerv@acs.k12.sc.us