Parents and Students of Dunbar High School,

As the 2025-2026 School Year kicks off, the Attendance Committee wants to relay some very important information regarding excused and unexcused absences, school tardiness, signing out of school early, and potential credit denial for excessive abuse of the attendance policy.

SCHOOL ABSENCES

Per School District Policy 5200, an Excused Absence consists of: Personal Illness of the student, court appearance of the student, medical appointment of the student, pregnancy related issues (see Policy 5751), approved school activity, insurmountable conditions, other absences with prior approval from the principal, attendance at a center under Children and Families Services supervision, significant community events with prior permission from the principal, religious instruction or religious holiday, death in the immediate family, and appointments for a therapy service provided by a licensed health practitioner or behavior analyst. Absences not included in this list shall be unexcused.

Dunbar High School will accept parent notes to Excuse 5 absences per semester. Beyond that, absences must be accompanied by proper documentation (Doctor/Dental notes, Hospital notes, Court subpoenas, immigration papers etc), to be marked as Excused. Students will have 10 school days to turn in Parent notes to excuse absences. Formal documentation can be brought in at any time during the semester.

Once a student accumulates 10 Unexcused absences in a semester-per class, the student could lose academic credit for that class. Credit denial letters will be sent at the end of the semester. Credit loss will be designated with an L next to the student’s class in which credit was lost on their official report card.

Students can earn lost credit back the following semester by keeping their Unexcused absences below 5 days for the whole semester.

Per Senate Bill 1344- Students that have 5 unexcused absences in a 30-day period or 10 unexcused absences in a 90-day period will be referred to the Child Study Team (CST). If a pattern of non-attendance (15 unexcused absences in a 90-day period) continues after a parent meeting has occurred, a referral to the court for a truancy petition or DJJ will occur for students under the age of 16. For students over the age of 16, they will be given 3 days to either improve their attendance, enroll in an alternative school option, or complete the Intent to Terminate Enrollment with the school.

In addition,

TARDY DAYS AND SCHOOL SIGN OUTS

Per School District Policy 5230, it is necessary that a student be in attendance through the school day in order to benefit fully from education programs. Parents should notify the school in advance for tardiness or early dismissal. Reasons of this absence will be determined by the principal.

Dunbar High School will no longer accept parent calls to excuse a student’s tardiness to school.

To excuse a late sign in to school, a parent must personally sign in their child in at the security desk, send a written note, or email the Attendance group on DHS email [email protected]

Dunbar High School will no longer accept parent calls for early sign outs from school, this includes during exams/state testing.

To excuse an early sign out, a parent must personally sign their child out in the front office, send a written note ( that will be verified), or email the Attendance group on DHS email [email protected] (that will be verified)

No student shall be released within the final 30 minutes of the school day unless the principal/designee determines it is an emergency.

All schools shall establish procedures for early release that ensure that all students are treated consistently.

Excessive early sign-outs will be addressed on a case-by case basis to determine if there is a pattern of non-attendance.

Unless excused under the provisions of this policy, accumulated early sign-outs will be recorded as unexcused absences.

These rules apply to all DHS students, no matter their age. Student that have reached 18 years of age, will follow the same rules for late sign ins and early sign outs. Extenuating circumstance will be handled on a case-to-case basis.

Students can earn lost credit back the following semester by keeping the Tardy days and Sign outs below 10 days for the whole semester.

If you have any questions, please call the Attendance office at Dunbar High School. 239-461-5322

We look forward to a Terrific School Year,
The DHS Attendance Committee

Attendance

Students shall be counted in attendance if they are actually present at school at the time the attendance is taken or are away from school on a school day and engaged in an educational activity that constitutes a part of the school-approved instructional program for the student (Section 1003.23, Florida Statutes).

Attendance Standard

A. All students are expected to be on time and present each day school is open during the school year.

B. Students may not be absent from school without permission of the principal/designee.

1. The school principal or designee is the only person authorized to excuse a student's absence.
2. A note from a parent/guardian is a request that a student's absence be excused.
3. When a student accumulates an excessive number of absences (5 days in a calendar month or 10 days within 90 calendar days) and additional absences occur which are caused by illness, a written statement from a physician verifying that the absence was caused by an illness may be required by the principal to be submitted by the parent/guardian (School Board Policy 4.16).

C. Habitual tardiness is defined as six (6) or more tardies to school or to an individual class per quarter.

D. For enforcement of compulsory school attendance, three unexcused tardies or unexcused early sign-outs may, at the discretion of the school principal, be considered equal to one day of absence.

Make-Up Work

A student who is absent and the absence is determined to be an excused absence, as defined by School Board Policy 4.16, is required to make up all course work missed. It is the student's responsibility to obtain assignments from the appropriate teacher(s) upon returning to class immediately following an absence. The student will be given the number of days absent plus one additional day to make up all work missed for full credit.