Policies, Procedures, and other Important Information

Attendance Information

Under the guidance of the federal Office of Civil Rights, the South Carolina Department of Education requires all districts to report students who are “chronically absent.” Chronically absent students are defined as having missed 10% of the total days within a school year. Research shows that students with a history of chronic absenteeism face a serious risk of falling behind in school, thus making it more difficult for them to succeed in the classroom.

As part of these requirements, South Carolina students will now be considered “absent” if they miss 50% of their instructional day for ANY reason, regardless of the classification of the absence as excused or unexcused. This means Lexington Two students must be present for at least half of the instructional day to be considered “present” for that school day.

School

School Start Time

School End Time

Time Required in School to be

Counted Present Per Day

Busbee

8:20a.m.

3:30p.m.

3 hours, 35 minutes

Attendance must be taken during each class period at the middle and high school level. If a student reaches the set number of unexcused absences* in any course (Carnegie unit), he/she will not meet the state-mandated attendance requirement for that course and will not receive credit until those absences are made up.

*The attendance requirements for receiving credit or promotion are:

School

Maximum Absences Allowed

Middle and

High Schools

5 absences (per semester class)

10 absences (per year-long class)

Please note that chronic absenteeism is NOT the same as truancy. According to state law, a child is considered truant if they have 3 consecutive unlawful absences or a total of 5 unlawful absences. Once a student becomes truant, the district is required to develop a written intervention plan with the parent/guardian.

Find additional information in the attachments below.

Also worth noting: The district has enacted changes for allowable time to submit excuses for medical-related absences. That information is contained in the links below.

Attendance Policy & Laws

Attendance Policy & Laws- Spanish

Start and End Times for Middle Schools

Arrival and Dismissal Procedures

The Academy will open the doors at 7:30 AM for students who need to arrive early. All car riders can be dropped off at the front of the school where they will enter through the main entrance of the building. Students will be directed to the cafeteria for breakfast. At 8:00 AM, students will be sent to homeroom.

Students will be dismissed at 3:30 PM. We take great pride in moving our car line quickly in the afternoons and to do this it takes a team effort from students, parents, and our staff. All students will be assigned a number for their car. Parents and family members who pick up in the afternoon should display the number in the front windshield of the car. We ask that you follow the directions of the staff members and drive all the way to the front of the car line in order to keep our students safe and the car line moving.

If your child is not ready for pick up, we will ask that you make a loop around the building and re-enter the car pick up line. All students should be picked up no later than 15 minutes after the dismissal bell. (3:45 pm)

To limit the loss of instructional time and minimize class disruptions, there will be no early dismissals after 2:40 pm.

We appreciate your cooperation in following our procedures for a safe and fast afternoon dismissal.

Medical Forms

Visitor Information

Busbee will remain locked during the school day. Intercom systems are located at the main entrances of our school. Visitors should go to the main entrance and press the intercom button located to the right of the front door. The front office staff will identify the visitor and the purpose of the visit. Once access is granted, visitors must check in with the front office. Our school utilizes Raptor which compares information in the national sex offender database. Visitors will be asked to present a driver's license or state-issued ID. This will provide an added layer of protection to ensure our school remains a secure environment for students, staff and approved visitors. Thank you for your cooperation in presenting your valid state-issued ID when checking in at any of our campuses. We appreciate your support.

Board Policy- AR-KI-R Visitors

Parent/Guardian Request Form to Opt Out of Release of Information

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal privacy law that gives parents (and eligible students) certain protections with regard to their children's education records. To protect your child's privacy, the law generally requires schools to ask for written consent before disclosing your child's personally identifiable information to individuals other than you. As a parent (or eligible student), you also have certain rights with respect to your student's education records.

Please notify the main office if you choose to opt out of having any information released. This includes pictures in the yearbook, any social media post on school sites, any public recognition. If you have questions, please call the main office.

Click here to download the FERPA form for 2022-2023

Enrollment Survey- Please complete and return to the main office.

Safety Procedures