Attendance & Tardies at Wesley Chapel High School

Attendance Policy

All children who have attained or will have attained the age of 6 years by February 1 of any school year and have not yet attained the age of 16 years, except as otherwise provided, are required to attend school regularly during the entire school term. It is the District School Board of Pasco County’s belief that academic success requires continuity of instruction and active classroom participation. Attendance shall be required of all students enrolled in the schools during the days and hours that the school is in session. School attendance shall be the responsibility of parents and students (F.S. 1003.21).

Pre-Arranged Absence Requests

All absences that deviate from district attendance policy must always be pre-approved. Students are required to complete an “Pre-Arranged Absent Form” for all personal absences. The Pre-Arranged Absent Form can be downloaded or picked up in the front office. Some examples of personal absences include religious retreats, mini-vacations, family visiting from out of town, driver’s license testing, military graduations, etc.  Completing the Pre-Arranged Absence Form does not guarantee the days will be excused.  Please see the chart below for examples of excused and unexcused absences.  Completed forms must be returned to the Attendance Secretary.  An absence due to college visits must include a letter from the college admissions office verifying the visit; limit of 2 per semester. 

Attendance Notifications

Attendance letters are mailed out every 5 weeks to students whose attendance reflects 5 or more days of Excused or Unexcused Absences. These letters are generated at the district level and are for notification purposes only.

Excuse Notes

Students who are absent will be marked “unexcused” (“U”) until the parent/guardian notifies the school in writing and justifies the absence. Failure to do so within three (3) school days will cause the absence to be recorded as “unexcused”. In the case of excessive or extended absences, upon request of the principal or designee, a parent must provide documentation (doctor’s statement) of a student’s illness. You can report your student’s absence electronically on the bottom that says, “Report and Absence”.

Student Consequences for Unexcused Absences (Secondary Only)

If a student has unexcused absences in 3 or more periods a day in five or more days, or 5 unexcused absences in any one course within a quarter or ten (10) unexcused absences in any one course within a semester, the student shall:

• Lose the privilege of participating in extracurricular activities. These include but are not limited to dances, special events, club activities and participation in athletics, until the end of the following grading quarter. In addition,
• Lose the privilege to drive to campus until the end of the following grading quarter. If this occurs during the fourth quarter of the school year, the privileges would be lost for the first quarter of the following school year. The principal or designee may review extenuating circumstances resulting in a loss of privilege(s). The principal’s decision is final.
• Have their name submitted to the Department of Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV). The student will then be in danger of having the current privilege to drive suspended, or for students who are under age 16, having their application for licensure denied. (Please see Driver’s License Law section, which follows) (F.S. 1003.26)

Some Examples of Excused and Unexcused Absences:

* Subpoena or forced absence by any Law Enforcement Agency, provided that the student is not under immediate suspension from school. A copy of the subpoena or court summons must be submitted to the school. [hr]

Tardy Policy 

2024-2025 coming soon

Tardiness and Early Checkout

Students need to arrive on time and stay through dismissal so they will receive important directions, class instruction and avoid other students who are working. Parents can set a good example by encouraging students to follow the school’s time schedule and to follow the procedures found in the school handbook. All parents must report to the front office when picking up their child prior to the regular dismissal time, Students MUST be signed out. We are not an open campus; students can NOT leave for lunch. 

Excessive Tardies and Absences

Students with excessive absences or tardies due to illness may require a doctor’s note. Parents of these students will be notified if such an action should become necessary.

To Prearrange an absence of four or more days that does NOT include student illness, please use the form below. The form must be completed at least one week in advance of the first day of absence.