New tardy policy adopted

Cannon County Schools recognize a critical connection between arriving to school on time and  student success. In an effort to improve overall attendance in schools, the Cannon County School Board approved the following Tardy Policy, which goes in effect on Monday, April 8, 2013:

1. Tardies and early check-outs shall be classified as either excused or unexcused as determined by the principal or his/her designee.  A parent must provide documentation of student's tardiness on the day the tardy occurred. Early check-outs must be documented no later than the day following the early check-out.

2. Excused tardies/early check-outs shall include:

a. Personal illness

b. Illness of immediate family member

c. Death in the family

d. Extreme weather conditions

e. Religious observances

f. Circumstances which in the judgment of the principal create emergencies over which the student has no control.

g. Doctor, dental or other medical appointment

3. Students  accumulating any combination of 5 tardies and early check-outs without  adequate excuse (unexcused tardy) will receive a letter from the principal.

4. After the eighth (8th) unexcused tardy or early check-out, the parent will receive a phone call from the school. Students with tardiness issues will begin receiving a 6:30 wake-up call each morning until the problem is resolved.

5. If a student accumulates any combination of 10 unexcused tardies and/or early check-outs the parent and/or student will be referred to the Supervisor of Attendance and the Director of Schools who will then send a letter to the parent.  The parent must attend a Truancy Hearing at the Cannon County Board of Education.  If the student is 12 or older, the child must accompany the parent to the hearing.

*Maximum of 5 parent notes will be accepted each year.

Arriving to school on time is important and will help assure your child doesn't miss vital instructional time and doesn't fall behind their classmates in reading, writing, math, and other academic areas.

When students arrive to school on time, they are practicing an important life skill. Employers need responsible employees who arrive to work on time. When students repeatedly arrive to school late, they may form a harmful habit and reputation that follows them into adulthood, which could prevent them from obtaining a good job, promotion, or raise.

If your child is having difficulty arriving to school on time, please contact your child's school or  Connie Foster, Director of Attendance, at 615-563-5752 x 245.