Working closely with the Director of Schools, the Assistant Director/Attendance Supervisor makes frequent visits to schools in the district and acts as the liaison between schools and the central office.

The Assistant Director/Attendance Supervisor also monitors student attendance at each school and watches attendance patterns as he submits attendance reports required to TDOE. He works closely with the Graduation Coach at the high school and conducts individual student counseling sessions when needed. Serving as the liaison between the Central Office, students, parents, courts, community agencies, and police authorities. He contacts parents of students with high absentees, makes home visits, schedules Truancy meetings, and attends Truancy court on a regular basis.

Working with individual school administrators, the Assistant Director provides assistance and information as needed on issues dealing with student discipline, safety and attendance. He supervises and coordinates Home School Programs, Homebound Program, and the Alternative School Program. To stay up to date on laws and regulations concerning student discipline, safety, and attendance, he regularly attends state-wide conferences and meetings.

Policies & Guidelines

• By law, all students must attend school in the state of Tennessee from Kindergarten entrance or age six, whichever comes first, until they turn 18.
• Regular attendance at school is the single biggest predictor of success for students; if they aren’t at school, we can’t teach them.
• If your child has to miss, please send a note telling us why. Students get five excused absences per semester, excusable by either doctor’s note or parent note. Every absence after that will be unexcused, unless the principal gives additional days due to illness or family hardship.
• After five unexcused days, parents will receive a notice that their student has been absent.
• At ten days unexcused absence, parents will receive a court citation.
• Please note that 3 unexcused tardies to school counts as one unexcused day for truancy purposes.
• Our goal is that no student or parent have to go to court for truancy. Please help us to achieve that goal by sending in notes when your child is absent.
• If you have a problem with attendance, please contact the school first and talk to the attendance monitor and/or the principal. Contacting the school should always be a parent’s first step if there is an attendance problem.
• If you are unable to work the problem out at the school level, please call the Attendance Supervisor at 423-663-2159.