Moore County's Attendance page

Attendance

Attendance Policies and Guidance for Parents

School attendance is important and in order to receive the best education, students need to be present to fully support their academic success. Regular attendance also has the cumulative effect of establishing lifelong positive traits including responsibility, determination, and respect for rules of society that are critical for developing career readiness skills, ensuring success in college, and achieving life goals. 

Parents requesting absences due to religious observances, military deployment, or educational opportunities are required to submit their request to principals prior to the event using the following forms:

 - K-12 Educational Opportunity Form
 - K-12 Military-Connected Absence Request Form 

Excused Absences

Students are expected to attend class each day and be on time. We understand that there are circumstances that may prevent a student from attending class. When a student must miss school, a written excuse signed by a parent or guardian must be presented to the teacher on the day the student returns after an absence. An absence may be excused for the following reasons:

All students are required to meet the attendance standards as outlined in the NC General Statutes Compulsory Attendance Law, NC State Board of Education Policies, and Moore County Schools (MCS) Board of Education Policies. Additional procedures for monitoring daily student attendance and communicating with families are established in the MCS Board of Education Policies, Section 4400 

  • Personal illness or injury that makes the student physically unable to attend school
  • Isolation ordered by the State Board of Health
  • Death in the immediate family
  • Medical or dental appointment
  • Participation under subpoena as a witness in a court proceeding
  • Observance of an event required or suggested by the religion of the student or the student’s parent(s) with written prior approval from the principal 
  • Participation in a valid educational opportunity with prior approval by the principal
  • Extended illnesses with a supporting statement from a physician
  • Unique military-connected family circumstances such as a deployment with prior approval Policy 4050
  • Additional reasons as outlined in MCS Board of Education Policy 4400 

Unexcused Absences

Any absence not meeting the requirements of an excused absence shall be an unexcused absence. This includes, but is not limited to: 

  • Any absence not classified as excused above. 
  • Any absence as excused above for which proper and timely notification is not furnished to the school administration.

Excessive Absences

School administrators and teachers track student attendance in PowerSchool. Parents should monitor their child’s attendance and ensure that students do not accumulate excessive absences. Both excused and unexcused absences count towards student attendance. Failure to meet minimum attendance policies may jeopardize a student’s ability to participate in sports or promote to the next grade.  Parents will be contacted by school administration or a school social worker under the following circumstances:

  • The child has accumulated three (3) unexcused absences in a school year.
  • After not more than six (6) unexcused absences, the principal shall notify the family by mail that they may be in violation of the Compulsory Attendance Law.
  • When student absences, excused or unexcused, reach five (5) in a semester or eleven (11) in a year in grades 9-12, or fifteen (15) in a year in grades K-8, the principal will contact the family.
  • Students in grades 9-12 who are absent from a class more than eight (8) days, excused or unexcused,  during a semester course shall not receive credit for the semester or year.
  • Students in grades K-8 who are absent more than twenty (20) days during a year shall be referred to an interdisciplinary attendance committee which shall determine if the student should be retained.Additional policies are outlined in MCS Board of Education Policy 4400.

Military-Connected Student Absences

In order to ensure that we support both the student’s academic and emotional needs, we have provided the following guidance for students of active duty service members in compliance with the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunities for Military Children. The following attendance guidance is consistent with the U.S. Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) and other public schools with military-connected students throughout the United States. Prior approval from the principal is required for extended absences including post deployment absences. Principals may request leave forms or other documentation to verify the reason for the absence. 

  • Students whose active duty parent, step-parent, or guardian is serving in an overseas deployment may be given an excused absence for the day of the deployment, day of the redeployment, and up to 5 days post deployment. Post deployment absences should be managed in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Fort Bragg and Moore County Schools.
  • Moore County Schools will accommodate active duty families to the best of our abilities as long as the total number of excused and unexcused absences does not exceed the maximum number of allowed absences as outlined in the MCS Board of Education Policies, NC General Statutes and NC State Board of Education Policies.
  • Military students requesting excused absences for a military-connected event must meet the standards outlined in the MOU to include pre-approval for absence, be in good academic standing, have a prior record of good attendance, missed work is completed and turned in within the school’s allotted time period, and absence is not during standardized testing dates.
  • Additional situations that may warrant an excused absence for military students in good standing include but are not limited to: promotion ceremony, retirement ceremony, identification card (ID) renewal/initial issue, memorial services, and unit functions.

Laws and policies that govern school attendance: 

  • Moore County Schools
  • 5277 Hwy. 15-501 South, Carthage, NC28327
  • 910-947-2976
  • 910-947-3011
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