Attendance Information

Attendance Requirements

In-Person Attendance

All children between the ages of 5 and 16 are required by SC Law to attend a public or private school or kindergarten. Parents or guardians may choose to home school their children instead of enrolling them in a public or private school.

The school year consists of 180 school days. Students must attend 170 days of each 180-day year course and 85 days of each 90-day semester course to receive credit. Students are counted present only when they are actually in school, on homebound instruction, or are present at an activity authorized by the school principal.  A student is considered in attendance when present for at least three (3) hours of a school day.

Any student who misses school must present a written excuse, signed by his or her parent or legal guardian or a health care professional, for all absences within three (3) days of the student’s return to school. The written excuse should include the reason for and the date of absence. If a student fails to bring a valid written excuse to school, his or her absence will be recorded as unlawful. For students in grades K-12, principals shall promptly approve or disapprove any student’s absence in excess of ten (10) days, whether those absences are lawful, unlawful, or a combination of the two.  Absences in excess of ten (10) days will not be considered excused with a parent/guardian note unless accompanied by official medical documentation or otherwise approved by the principal as a lawful absence. 

Virtual Program Attendance

Students are counted present when they are present in a Google Meet for the entire class time and have their cameras on.  Any student who misses school must submit a written excuse for absences within three (3) days of the student’s return to school signed by his or her parent or legal guardian or a healthcare professional.

Absence notes should be submitted by the parent or a doctor’s office may also email a copy of a medical note directly to:

* A scanned document, or a picture of the document may be submitted.