Educational research indicates the strongest relationship to academic achievement is good school attendance. Regular and punctual school attendance fosters the best educational environment; it is also state law!

Pupils are required to attend regularly and punctually the school in which they are enrolled. Recording of absences and tardies shall be made in compliance with the requirements of 702 KAR 007:125. 1 

All procedures included in the Henderson County Schools Board Policy on attendance (09.123) are followed. 

If your child going to be absent please contact and send notes to:

Attendance - hcsattendance@henderson.kyschools.us

Mary Hazelwood - 270-831-8862 mary.hazelwood@henderson.kyschools.us

Michelle Wells - 270-831-8861 michelle.wells@henderson.kyschools.us

Excused Absences Reasons for an excused absence or tardiness include

1. Death, funeral, or severe illness in the pupil's immediate family,

2. Illness of the pupil,

3. Religious holidays and practices,

4. Appointments with doctor or dentist,

5. Failure of bus transportation,

6. summons to appear in court,

7. One (1) day for attendance at the Kentucky State Fair as a participant,

8. Documented military leave,

9. One (1) the day before the departure of parent/guardian called to active military duty,

10. One (1) day upon the return of parent/guardian from active military duty

11. Visitation for up to ten (10) days with the student’s parent, de facto custodian, or person with legal custody who, while on active military duty stationed outside of the country, is granted rest and recuperation leave,

12. Ten (10) days for students attending basic training required by a branch of the United States Armed Forces, or

13. Other valid reasons as determined by the Principal, including trips qualifying as educational enhancement opportunities. Students shall be granted an excused absence for up to ten (10) school days to pursue an educational enhancement opportunity determined by the Principal to be of significant educational value. This opportunity may include, but not be limited to, participation in an educational foreign exchange program or an intensive instructional, experiential, or performance program in one (1) of the core curriculum subjects of English, science, mathematics, social studies, foreign language, and the arts. Unless the Principal determines that extenuating circumstances exist, requests for date(s) falling within State or District testing periods shall not be granted. The Principal’s determination may be appealed to the Superintendent/designee whose decision may then be appealed to the Board under its grievance policy and procedures. Students receiving an excused absence under this section shall have the opportunity to make up for school work missed and shall not have their class grades adversely affected for lack of class attendance or class participation due to the excused absence.

Within three (3) school days of an absence, students shall submit a written statement of verification from a parent, doctor, or public health official which shall be approved by the Principal or the Principal's designee for the absence to be excused.

Any absence or tardiness, regardless of the length of time, is considered an attendance event. A maximum of eight (8) absences and/or tardy events per school year (four [4] per semester) may be excused by a parent note. A statement from a medical practitioner, dentist, the judicial system, or county health department will be required for any additional absences and/or tardies. You may email the note to hcsattendance@henderson.kyschools.us

Loss of School Privileges

Students may lose school privileges if his/her attendance results in six (6) or more unexcused absences or six (6) or more unexcused tardies.

Unexcused Absences

All other absences shall be considered unexcused. Absences before or after a scheduled holiday, Christmas break, spring break, intersessions, or the senior prom will be automatically unexcused unless the student shows proof of a doctor's excuse or an emergency. In the event of an emergency or doctor's statement, the Principal's designee will check to verify that the reason is authentic.

Educational Enhancement Opportunities

EEO Forms are available on the district website and at each unit desk. Completed forms must be received by the principal at least five (5) days before the absence to be considered for an excused absence. Other valid reasons as determined by the Principal, include trips qualifying as educational enhancement opportunities. Students shall be granted an excused absence for up to ten (10) school days to pursue an educational enhancement opportunity determined by the Principal to be of significant educational value. This opportunity may include, but not be limited to, participation in an educational foreign exchange program or an intensive instructional, experiential, or performance program in one (1) of the core curriculum subjects of English, science, mathematics, social studies, foreign language, and the arts. Unless the Principal determines that extenuating circumstances exist, requests for the date(s) falling within State or District testing periods shall not be granted. The Principal’s determination may be appealed to the Superintendent/designee whose decision may then be appealed to the Board under its grievance policy and procedures. Students receiving an excused absence under this section shall have the opportunity to make up for school work missed and shall not have their class grades adversely affected for lack of class attendance or class participation due to the excused absence.

College Visits

College Visits have excused absences if you do the following. The student must turn into attendance a letter from the college visited stating the date that they were there. Once attendance receives this, they change the absence to a CV. College Visits are prohibited from being listed as an EEO

Truancy Defined

Any student who has attained the age of six (6), but has not reached his/her eighteenth (18th) birthday, who has been absent from school without a valid excuse for three (3) days or more, or tardy without a valid excuse on three (3) days or more, is a truant. Any student enrolled in a public school who has attained the age of eighteen (18) years, but has not reached his/her twenty-first (21st) birthday, who has been absent from school without a valid excuse for three (3) or more days, or tardy without a valid excuse on three (3) or more days, is a truant. Any student who has been reported as a truant two (2) or more times is a habitual truant. The Director of Student Services may hold a parental conference and/or attendance hearing with the student and parent(s) after a student is truant. To establish a student's status as a truant, a student’s attendance record is cumulative for an entire school year. When students transfer from one Kentucky district to another, attendance information from the previous district shall become part of their official attendance record for that school year.

Sign-Out Procedures

For a student to be able to sign out of school, the student's parent/guardian must be present to talk with the appropriate school official and must sign the student out with the attendance clerk. A non-parent or non-spouse student must be at least 21 years of age to sign out a student. Noted are the following exceptions:

1. When the student has an official doctor's appointment stating the exact time and place and a telephone call from the parent/guardian confirms the appointment, the student may sign out.

2. The principal or his/her designee may determine the situation to be an emergency and may grant the student permission to sign out after talking with the parent/guardian by phone. Attendance Consequences - Between 6 –10 absences from school an attendance hearing/ truancy diversion meeting may be held. Individualized plans to improve a student’s attendance may include a home visit and/or truancy charges. Students may lose parking privileges and/or their driver’s license if attendance becomes a barrier to learning. (See below).

School Trips

Students who have any failing grades for the current nine weeks, have 5 or more missing or incomplete assignments, or have 5 or more unexcused absences are not eligible to participate in school-sponsored field trips. Students are allowed a maximum of 10 field trips per year, excluding trips for district, regional, or state competitions. It is the responsibility of the sponsor(s) of the field trip to make sure students are academically and behaviorally eligible to attend any school-sponsored trip.