Most Common Problems

• Failure to check out through the Attendance Office when you are departing early. 
• Failure to check in with the Health Center when you are feeling ill. (Only the nurse can determine if you are too ill to remain on campus.)
• Attempting to take care of too many non-appropriate activities during the passing bell.

Attendance Definitions: Understand the Attendance Rules at Horizon

Student Permission to Leave

Once you arrive on campus, you are not permitted to leave without first checking out through the Attendance Office. If a student needs to leave campus during the day, the parent must call the Attendance Office prior to the student leaving in order to be excused. The student will need to pick up a pass from Attendance allowing him/her to leave campus.

Please be advised, if you call to excuse your student for the day and the student does come to school, please call the Attendance Office to let us know, or physically sign in your student at the front desk. This will enable the Attendance Office to mark your student present instead of absent.

Please note: The parent must call the Attendance Office. We do not accept handwritten notes, faxes, or emails.

Leaving School

If a student becomes ill while at school, he/she will need to check out through the Health Center Office prior to leaving.

Absence

A student not in their assigned classroom during the assigned period or after the collection of the attendance sheets by the attendance personnel.

Excused Absences

Those in which parents or guardians call the Attendance Office at (602) 449-6001 or (602) 449-6071 from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on the same day the absence occurs. This does not include leaving school for any type of appointment during regular school hours.

Religious Absences

Also known as absences for attendance at religious services. These are a special type of excused absence in which the parent/guardian may arrange for the absence in writing prior to the planned absence. (Religious absences are the only absences which will be excused based on a written note.) A phone call will be required if no prior written permission is obtained.

Truancies

The following instances are regarded as truancy:

• Any absence not reported to school by phone by 3:00 p.m. on the day of the absence.
• Any absence without the prior knowledge and consent of the parent/guardian is a truancy and is subject to disciplinary action.
• Any absence in which a student fails to check out through the Attendance Office or the Health Center prior to leaving school.
• Leaving the classroom without the teacher’s permission.

Unauthorized Non-Parent/Guardian Phone Calls

No credit given for work due or completed the day of the truancy, including tests.

Excessive Absentee

A student who is absent (excused/truant from a class 18 or more times per year) may fail the course or receive a lower grade. All absences from class, including suspensions, will be counted in the total absence count. As an excessive absentee, you will be placed on an attendance probation contract, which will be handled by the Attendance Dean. Doctor documentation may be required for students with excessive (18) absences.

Chronic Illness/Absences

This regards frequent absences resulting from a medically certified chronic (recurring) health condition that may permit the student to receive modified instructional services and exempt the student from the 18–day excessive absence provisions. Processing for chronic illness status will be coordinated by the nurse. Long-range assignments will be turned in on the assigned due date without exception. Please note that chronic illness status is not retroactive, nor does it carry over to the following school year.

Tardy

Tardies involve any arrival in class after the sounding of the bell signaling the beginning of the period and up to the first 20 minutes of that period. Arriving after 20 minutes will be counted as an absence, and a parent must call the student in or sign in the student at the attendance office after this time.

View Horizon's Bell Schedules