Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools

Attendance Policy

 

CHCCS and ECHHS Attendance Policies and Procedures

CHCCS BOE Policy 4400  Attendance in school and participation in class are integral parts of academic achievement and the teaching/learning process. Student regular attendance is mandatory. The State of North Carolina requires that every child in the State between the ages of 7-16 (or younger if enrolled) attend school. Parents and legal guardians are responsible for ensuring that students attend and remain at school daily.

 

ECHHS Attendance Procedures

Please report all attendance concerns to our attendance office at
echhs-attendance@chccs.k12.nc.us                     

Option 1: Infinite Campus Parent Portal Absence Request - Click here for detailed instructions on how to create a Full Day Absence , Late Arrival or Early Dismissal request.  Just a few reminders:

• For Full Day Absences - depending on the absence, additional documentation may be required.
• For Late Arrivals - all students should always check into the main office check in desk.  The parent/guardian has up to 5 minutes after the student arrives to enter the information into Infinite Campus with the required excuse documentation; otherwise the student must present the required excuse document when they check in at the main office.
• For Early Dismissals - all students should report to the main office check in desk before classes start and either 1) indicate that their parent/guardian has entered the early dismissal into the Parent Portal or 2) provide the required excuse documentation.  The student will be issued an early dismissal pass to present to their teacher at the appropriate dismissal time.

Option 2: Call the Attendance Line, (919) 969-2482 and press 3.

Option 3:  Student Absence Reporting Form.  Note that we will no longer offer this option after March 30, 2026 as our new Parent Portal Absence Request feature will replace this option.  

Excused Absences

Full-Day Absence Procedure
In order for the absence to be excused, parents/guardians need to submit an absence request in Infinite Campus or call the attendance line, before 10:00am the morning the child will be absent.  If there was no phone call or an absence request was not entered into Infinite Campus, there is a 3-day grace period to get the attendance changed. After 3 days, the attendance will not be changed.

Excused absences from a parent or guardian must meet at least one of the excused absence reasons listed in the CHCCS School Board Policy 4400 below:

• Personal illness; including medical, psychological, and dental care
• Isolation ordered by the State Board of Health
• Death in the immediate family
• Medical or dental appointments which cannot be rescheduled outside of school time
• Participation under subpoena as a witness in a court proceeding 
• Religious Observance with prior approval of the Principal
• Pre-arranged absences due to an Educational Opportunity (including field trips, athletic contests, and travel, etc.). See the main office to request an Educational Absence.  Click here for the Educational Opportunity Form.
• Pregnancy and related conditions or parenting, when medically necessary

Late Arrival Procedure
Students who arrive late with a parent/guardian present, have an excused note or the late arrival request has been entered into Infinite Campus, must report directly to the main office front desk. If they are a student driver, they must sign in and receive a pass to class.  Tardy reasons not meeting the excused absence criteria will be marked as unexcused.

Early Dismissal for a medical and other  appointments 
If a student has to leave early they must check in with the main office front desk before classes start and indicate that their parent/guardian has entered they dismissal request in Infinite Campus or present a parent note indicating the dismissal date/time/reason.  Upon completion of the appointment, the parent can go back into Infinite Campus and upload the physician note or the student must submit the physician note from the to the main office front desk. Notes from medical doctors and other appointments will be used as verification of an excused absence.

Early Dismissal Procedure

• Parents/guardians will enter an early dismissal request in Infinite Campus or send a parent note with the student to submit to the main office front desk.
• Written notes will only be accepted by the parent/guardian listed in Infinite Campus.
• Only designated contacts listed in Infinite Campus are allowed to check a student out of school.  
• The parent/guardian should ring the bell for entrance to the main office.
• The parent/guardian will present identification and sign the student out of school.
• Student drivers must sign out in the main office at the time designated by the parent/guardian’s absence request in Infinite Campus, parent note or phone call.  
• If the student returns to school the same day, they must check back in at the main office front desk with the excuse note from the appointment or the parent can upload the document into the absence request in Infinite Campus.
• No student will be called out of class after 3:30pm. 

Notes from parent/guardian must include:

• the date(s) of absence,
• the reason for the absence,
• the signature of a parent/guardian.

Failure to follow these steps will result in an unexcused absence. Attendance will note the unexcused absence in PowerSchool until a student submits an excused note to the Attendance Office within 3 school days of the absence.

Unexcused Absences
Any absence that does not meet CHCCS Policy 4400 or has not been excused by the Attendance Office will be an unexcused absence. 

STUDENTS HAVE THREE (3) SCHOOL DAYS TO HAVE UNEXCUSED ABSENCES CODED AS EXCUSED. Excessive absences may result in the parents'/guardians’ required participation in truancy court.