Increased educational accountability and changes in Georgia Law have led to a greater emphasis on school attendance. Outlined below is a summary of the attendance policy for the Douglas County School System for all students in grades K-12. Please read carefully and if you have questions, contact the principal of your child's school. 

Any time your child is absent or tardy to school, you must provide within three days a written excuse stating the reason for the student's absence. After the 10^th day of absence due to illness, the excuse must come from a medical doctor. Students will be excused only for the following reasons:

1. Personal illness or attendance in school endangers the health of the student or others or conditions rendering attendance impossible or hazardous to student health or safety.
2. A serious illness or death in a student's immediate family necessitating absence from school.
3. A court order or an order by a governmental agency, including a pre-induction physical examination for service in the armed forces, mandating absence from school.
4. Religious holidays, necessitating absence from school.
5. Suspension from school or other actions by the school system that prohibits a child from attending school for a period of time.
6. One day for voter registration.
7. Students sent home from school with head lice will be excused for the day sent home and one more day per occurrence. Any additional absences will be unexcused.
8. Students will be counted present when they are serving as pages of the Georgia General Assembly.

Students shall be in attendance for a minimum of one-half of the required instructional time to be counted as present for the entire day.

Every parent, guardian or other person residing in Georgia is required either to enroll and send children in their care and charge, between the ages of six and 16 to a public or private school or provide a home study program for these children which meets the requirements as set forth in law. Any student who is subject to compulsory education requirements and is deemed to be truant is subject to progressive disciplinary consequences. Students who accumulate more than 10 school days of unexcused absences in any semester may be ineligible for an instructional permit or driver's license. Students who already possess an instructional permit or driver's license may have such suspended (O.C.G.A. 40-4-22).

Any parent, guardian, or other person residing in this state who has control or charge of a child or children enrolled in the Douglas County School System who accumulates more than five (5) unexcused absences in violation of the Compulsory Education Law, (O.C.G.A. 20-2-690.1) shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof, shall be subject to a fine not less than $25.00 and not greater than $100.00, imprisonment not to exceed 30 days, community service or any combination of such penalties, at the discretion of the court having jurisdiction.