Policies & Regulations

(770) 888-3470 x 331080 

To report absences or to submit an excuse note, please contact westattendance@forsyth.k12.ga.us

Policies and Procedures: Regular attendance is essential to success in school. As permitted under the Georgia compulsory education law and Forsyth County Board of Education policy, students may be excused for the following reasons:

-Personal illness or attendance in school that endangers a student’s health or the health of others.

-A serious illness or death in a student’s immediate family necessitates an absence from school.

-A court order or an order by a governmental agency, including pre-induction physical examinations for service in the armed forces, mandating absence from school.

-The observance of religious holidays, necessitating absence from school.

-Conditions that render attendance impossible or hazardous to student health or safety.

-A scheduled medical, dental or eye examination of the student.

-Registering to vote or voting.

-Visiting with a parent or legal guardian who is in the military service in the armed forces and has been called to duty for or is on leave from overseas deployment to a combat zone or combat support post. The student may be excused for a maximum of 5 days per school year. 

Non-school related activities and vacations are considered unexcused. 

Student absences: Students must submit a note or parents must fax (770-888-3471) or e-mail the attendance office, within five (5) school days for the student’s absence to be considered excused.  A parent / guardian must write the note, fax or e-mail stating the student’s name, the date(s) of absence(s), and the reason for the absence. The principal may require students to present appropriate medical or other documentation upon return to school for the purpose of validating that absences are excused. 

In case of extended illness, hospitalization or injury, the parent should apply for hospital homebound service.  Hospital homebound service should be applied for immediately when absences of ten (10) days or more are anticipated for the student.

Check-Out:

• WFHS does not use the pick-up list from your student’s card from middle school.  We go strictly by the information entered in Parent Portal. WFHS will not release any student to someone who is not on their approved pick-up list.  To update this list, log in to Parent Portal and select the Demographics tab and add approved adults. You will need to do this for each student you have at West Forsyth High School.   If you need help with your Parent Portal login, visit:  https://campus.forsyth.k12.ga.us/campus/portal/forsyth.jsp
• When checking a student out of school, you will need to provide the student number and your picture ID. * Tip: store your student’s ID number on your phone.
• The latest a student can check-out/check-in is 3:10 PM.  Please make arrangements to have your child picked up before this time.

  Email check out requests are only for students who drive themselves to school. Students who drive to school are permitted to check themselves out provided that their parent/ guardian send an email to the attendance office. The email should originate from the parent / guardian email address on file in Parent Portal and must include:
                          - student first and last name
                          - student ID number
                          - date
                          - time of check out
                          - reason for checkout
                          - parent/guardian contact number
                     
  Email check out requests should be sent at least one hour prior to the student’s check out time. Students who do not check-out with the attendance office before leaving campus will be considered skipping. 

All students should stop by the attendance office when checking in late or checking out early.

Late check-in/check-out: An unexcused late check-in or early check-out is defined as any time a student arrives late to school or leaves school early for a reason other than those defined by the State Board of Education as an excused absence. A combination of three unexcused tardies and early check-outs will be considered one unexcused absence. Students who miss more than half of the time in any class will be considered absent for that class period. When possible, medical and dental appointments should be made outside of school hours. If a student is being checked in or checked out for a doctor’s appointment, a physician’s note or appointment card is required within 5 school days to be considered excused.

If a student has excessive absences, early check-outs, and / or late check-ins, the student and / or the parent may be referred to the School Social Worker, Juvenile Court, State Court, and / or Department of Family and Children Services.  A parent / guardian who violates the compulsory education law shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof, shall be subject to a fine not less than $25.00 and not greater than $100.00, imprisonment not to exceed 30 days, community service, or any combination of such penalties at the discretion of the court having jurisdiction.  Each day’s absence from school is considered a violation.

College Visits: Juniors and seniors may visit colleges during the school year for no more than 4 days per year.  The student must bring documentation from the school indicating that the student visited the school.