Mater Virtual Academy at Brighton Lakes Attendance Policy

Attendance Policy

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Attendance Policy

We expect our students to demonstrate excellent attendance. Please make every effort to have your child attend school on time and every day. Please note that Mater Virtual at Brighton Lakes Academy will abide by the School District of Osceola County Student Attendance Reporting Procedures and Guidelines.

A. Attendance Defined

  1. School Attendance - Students are to be counted in attendance only if they are physically present for at least two (2) hours or engaged in a school approved educational activity which constitutes a part of the instructional program for the student.
  2. Class Attendance - Students are to be counted in attendance if they are physically present in class for at least half of the class period, have been excused by the teacher for a class-related assignment, or have been requested by a member of the school support staff for an approved school activity.
  3. Tardiness – A student is considered tardy if they are not present when the school bell rings for the class assigned. Note: If a student is not present when attendance is taken but is present later in the school day, the student will be marked tardy, not absent. A student who is tardy should never remain on record as being absent.
  4. Early Sign-outs - No student shall be released within the final 30 minutes of the school day unless authorized by the school principal or principal’s designee, e.g., emergency, sickness.

B. Reasonable Excuses for Time Missed at School

We expect our students to demonstrate excellent attendance. We expect that parents will make every effort to have their child in attendance. Parents/guardians are to contact the teacher if their child is going to be or has been absent from school. On the day he or she returns, parents/guardians must submit a note explaining the reason for the child’s absence, or a note from the child’s physician. To have the absence reviewed, the Absent Notification Form, located on the school's website under the Parent's Tab, must be completed within 48 hours of the student’s return to school. Any necessary documentation must be attached to this form to help determine the excused status of this absent notification. Absences shall be excused for the following reasons only:

  • Illness of Student: Parents need to provide a medical note from a competent, medical provider or competent medical authority (holds an active license issued by a state licensing authority to provide healthcare services).
    • Medical note must include: 21 Revised 7.21.25 The Parent Student Handbook is a live document that is subject to change by Mater Brighton Lakes Administration at any time.
    • Diagnosis with a condition consistent with a medical provider’s scope of practice.
    • State that the student’s condition justifies the number of absences.
  • Illness/Injury/Death of Family Member: Death of immediate family members of the student includes the student’s:
    • Parents and their spouses
    • Brothers and sisters and their spouses
    • Grandparents and their spouses
  • Educational Opportunities that are age-appropriate to the student.
  • Religious Holidays not observed by the school calendar.
    • Religious absences need to be pre-arranged. Parents must notify the school in writing of the intended religious absence within 5 days PRIOR to the religious holiday.

Immediate family shall be defined as listed in the United States Internal Revenue Service Guidelines. If there is a reasonable doubt concerning the illness claimed, the Principal shall be authorized to require a statement from an accepted medical authority. Failure to comply with this requirement shall result in the absence being “unexcused.” Students will be permitted to make up missed work according to school procedures. If questions arise regarding this rule, Principals will grant the parents/ guardians a conference must be made of the Principal’s decision.

C. Unexcused School Absence Due To:

Any absence that does not fall into one of the above, excused absence, category is to be considered unexcused. Any student absent from school will be marked with an unexcused absence until the required documentation is received and approved. Unexcused absences do not require that the teacher provide makeup work for the student. However, the student or parent may contact the teacher to see if there is an opportunity to make-up the assigned work. Chronic truancy or deliberate nonattendance more than fifteen (15) consecutive school days within a ninety-day (90) calendar period will be sufficient grounds for withdrawal of students sixteen (16) years of age or older, who are subject to compulsory school attendance under Florida Statute Section 1003.21.