Attendance Awareness 2019-2020 WALKER COUNTY SCHOOLS Attendance Awareness 2019-2020 This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY

Increases job opportunities Increase career pay STUDENT ATTENDANCE Increases job opportunities Increase career pay Improves overall outcome of life in later years Increases self- confidence Increases graduation chances This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC

VIOLATION OF PARENTAL RESPONSIBILITY (ALABAMA CODE SECTION 16-28-12) DON’T END UP HERE VIOLATION OF PARENTAL RESPONSIBILITY (ALABAMA CODE SECTION 16-28-12)  Each parent, guardian, or other person having control or custody of any child required to attend school or receive regular instruction by a private tutor who fails to have the child enrolled in school or who fails to send the child to school, or have him or her instructed by a private tutor during the time the child is required to attend a public school, private school, church school, denominational school, or parochial school, or be instructed by a private tutor, or fails to require the child to regularly attend the school or tutor, or fails to compel the child to properly conduct himself or herself as a pupil in any public school in accordance with the written policy on school behavior adopted by the local board of education pursuant to this section and documented by the appropriate school official which conduct may result in the suspension of the pupil, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall be fined not more than one hundred dollars ($100) and may also be sentenced to hard labor for the county for not more than 90 days. The absence of a child without the consent of the principal teacher of the public school he or she attends or should attend, or of the tutor who instructs or should instruct the child, shall be prima facie evidence of the violation of this section. This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND

WALKER COUNTY SCHOOLS ATTENDANCE PROCEDURES NEW CHANGES EFFECTIVE 2019-2020 SCHOOL YEAR Two (2) unexcused absences result in a warning letter. Five(5) unexcused absences results in a mandatory Early Warning Attendance Hearing at the Courthouse Annex Juvenile Court Office Seven (7) unexcused absences results in referral to Truancy with a required Multi-Agency Meeting at the Juvenile Court Office in the Courthouse Annex. Eight (8) unexcused absences results in a misdemeanor warrant issued for the arrest of the parent due to Violation of Parental Responsibility (Alabama Code Section 16-28-12). (Read definition in previous slide.) Students ages 16-19 with more than ten (10) consecutive absences or fifteen (15) accumulated absences in one semester WILL have their license suspended according to Alabama Code 16-28-40.

Attendance Reduces Graduation Rate Grade 9 Statistics In One Year Absences Chance of Graduating on Time 0-4 87% 5-9 63% 10-14 41% 15-19 21% 20-24 9% 25-29 5% 30-34 2% 35-40 1%

GET HELP BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE We have resources available. Contact: Rhonda Davidson, Walker County Schools Attendance Coordinator at 205-38-0555 Misty Whisenhunt, Walker County Schools Mental Health Coordinator at 205-387-0555 This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND