Schools are responsible for teaching children, but they cannot do their job if children are frequently absent. Parents can help by making school attendance a top priority. By building the habit of daily attendance, parents can help children understand that school is important.

The Dougherty County Board of Education believes that regular attendance is essential to children receiving a sound education. Educational experiences lost during an absence are irretrievable because make-up work seldom duplicates classroom interaction.

In the summer of 2015 the BOE adopted an aggressive attendance policy developed and recommended by the Superintendent's staff that drastically cut the number of unexcused absences students were allowed to have. Under the new plan, students are only granted five unexcused absences during the school year before being recommended for retention. Additionally, parents of chronically truant children could face criminal charges under Georgia's Truancy Laws.

The full DCSS Attendance Policy can be found below:

• 2015 Attendance Policy