Attendance

The South Carolina Code of Laws sets the standard regarding school attendance. Promotion and retention can be affected when a student misses more than ten days during the school year. Written notification of a mandatory attendance intervention conference is sent to parents when a student has three consecutive absences or a total of five unexcused absences. School officials and parents are required by law to develop an intervention plan in an effort to decrease student absences. Students are required to bring a written excuse on the first day back from an absence. All excuses must be submitted within seven days of return to school. Habitual absences, lawful and unlawful, will be referred to the Attendance Office of the Anderson County Board of Education.

Regular attendance is essential if students are to be successful in school. Legal excuses include:

Parent note. (Maximum of five per year. Additional parent notes will be counted as unexcused absences.)
Personal illness of the student with a doctor’s excuse.
Death in the immediate family.
Observance of a religious holiday.

According to Anderson County Board of Education guidelines, perfect attendance is defined as “No absences, tardies, or early dismissals from school the entire school year” and faithful attendance as “Two or fewer absences, tardies, or early dismissals combined for the entire school year.” The county board presents a Perfect Attendance Award and Faithful Attendance Award to students who qualify.

Tardies

The academic day at Palmetto Middle School begins at 8:25 a.m. Students are expected to be seated in homeroom class by that time each day. Those who arrive at homeroom after 8:25 a.m. will not be admitted without a Tardy Pass from the Main Office. Repeated tardiness may result in disciplinary action.

Early Dismissal

The parent or approved contact must come to the main office at the time of early dismissal to sign the student out of school.  Identification is required to sign out student.  Early dismissals are absences from class and will affect the student's attendance.  "