Students are expected to be in school every day.  Parents and guardians are expected to contact Ridgeview High School on the day of the child's absence to inform the school of the absence.  Parents and guardians are also encouraged to inform the school of pre-arranged appointments as soon as the date of such appointments is known. For any reason, documentation providing the date(s) of and reason(s) for the child's absence(s) is required from the parent or guardian within three days of the child's return to school.  The purpose of this documentation is to determine whether or not the students' absence is excused or unexcused.  This documentation will be maintained until the end of the school year.

Dickenson County Public Schools accepts the following as reasons for a student's excused absence from school:

1. Illness - When a student is unable to attend school due to an illness, a note written by the parent or a physician documenting the illness will provide evidence of the illness for the school. 

2. Prearranged Appointments - For appointments with the court, social services or other state agencies and appointments with health care providers, official documentation must be presented to the school. 

3. Family Death or Emergency - For absences because of a death in the family or an emergency beyond the family's control, the parent must notify the school and provide documentation for the absence. 

4. Religious Observances - Absences as a result of observances of religious holidays should be prearranged by the parent, who is responsible for notifying the child's school of the religious holiday(s) to be observed. 

5. Extenuating Circumstances – Unforeseeable or unpreventable absences as determined by the school administration. 

6. Exceptional Circumstances - The principal may approve prearranged absences for situations in which an exemption from attendance appears to be in the best interests of the student and his/her family. Prior to the student's absence, the parent must complete the Request for Exceptional Circumstance to Attendance Form. 

How do I submit my child's excuses for days missed?

Parents and guardians can submit excuses to the school by sending written notes with their student, or sending excuses via email, fax, or the RHS Attendance page on Facebook.  

Who do I contact regarding attendance-related questions?

Any attendance-related questions can be addressed to Mr. Michael Younce, the school attendance clerk.

What is the link to the RHS Attendance page on Facebook?

The link to the RHS Attendance page on Facebook can be found here, or at the bottom of this website.

My family has a vacation planned during the school year.  What is the best process for us to follow so my student is excused and can make up assignments missed?

While the school division encourages families to plan vacations during scheduled breaks (i.e., summer vacation, Thanksgiving break, winter break, spring break), we understand that the need to travel can arise during the academic year.  The best process to follow is to complete the request for Extenuating Absences for Attendance for your child, submit the request to the school principal at least two weeks before your scheduled trip, and wait for approval.  No more than five days may be approved by your child's principal during the school year.  For requests of more than five days, the request must be endorsed by the principal and approved by the superintendent.  Upon approval, your child can collect assignments from teachers to complete while away from school.  After returning to school, your child will have five days to submit all missed work to teachers to count for credit. 

Where can I find the form to request for Extenuating Absences for Attendance for my child?

The form is available here.  Remember to submit it to your child's school for approval at least two weeks before your scheduled vacation.

How many days can my child miss from school before it is considered excessive?

High school students can miss up to eight excused days and up to five unexcused days (or a combination of both excused and unexcused) before their absences are considered excessive.  After missing five unexcused days of school, the school's attendance clerk will reach out to parents or guardians and develop an attendance plan to support the student's goal of attending school regularly.  If the attendance plan doesn't help, and the student continues to miss school without an approved excuse, the attendance clerk and a school administrator will meet with the student and a parent or guardian to revise the plan and add additional interventions as needed.  Any additional days missed will result in a complaint being filed with the juvenile and domestic relations district court alleging the student needs supervision.