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Houston High School Attendance

Main Office Hours: 7:30 AM - 3:00 PM

Phone: 901-757-6009

Quick Tip: Please allow 24-48 hours for attendance updates to reflect in PowerSchool.

In This Section

Reporting an Absence

If a student misses school, communication is vital. Please follow these steps to ensure the absence is documented correctly:

Submission Deadline: All notes (doctor, parent, or email) must be submitted within 48 hours (and no later than 5 days) of the absence.
Required Info: Emails must include the student’s full name (as it appears in PowerSchool) and their grade level.

NOTE: Doctor appointments are unexcused until a doctor’s note is turned into the Attendance office.

Houston High School Attendance Tips

Check-In & Check-Out Procedures

Students entering or leaving campus between 7:45 AM and 2:45 PM must sign the logs in the Main Office.

The 2:15 PM Rule

The latest a student may be checked out is 2:15 PM sharp. We cannot accommodate requests after this time due to bus transitions and dismissal safety.

Non-Driving Students

Check-In: Parent must sign the student in, unless the student has a valid Doctor’s note.
Check-Out: A parent/guardian must come to the office, show a photo ID, and sign the student out.

Student Drivers

Check-In: Students must have a doctor’s note, or a note or email from a parent.
Check-Out: Parents must send a note or email before the student needs to leave.
- For safety reasons, student drivers are not permitted to check themselves out if they become ill during the day. A parent must come to the office to sign them out.

Special Circumstances

College Visits: Up to 4 visits per year. Must provide a note on official college letterhead (itineraries not accepted). Two travel days are permitted per visit.
Make-up Work Policy: After five (5) unexcused absences, students will no longer be able to make up missed work for additional unexcused absences.
Non-HHS Activities: For club sports or travel, requests must be submitted 5 days in advance for Principal to determine whether allow an exception for this absence. As with any absence, please email or send an absence note the day the student returns to since we can't pre-enter absences.
DMV Forms: Sign the clipboard in the Main Office. Forms take 48 hours to process and must be picked up in person.
Illness at School: Students feeling ill must report to the Nurse's Office, sign the clipboard, and use the nurse's phone to call home.

Tardies & Attendance Marks

Attendance in high school is recorded per class period.

Tardy Progression (Resets Quarterly)

Teachers document all tardies in PowerSchool. Daily robocalls are sent to families for any recorded tardy.

3 Tardies: Warning & Parent Contact (Note: 3 tardies in 1st Period = Cafeteria Duty)
5 Tardies: After-School Detention
8 Tardies: 1 Day In-School Suspension (ISS)
10 Tardies: 3 Days In-School Suspension (ISS)
11+ Tardies: Out-of-School Suspension (OSS) Progression

Truancy Process (State Law)

3 Unexcused Absences: Student conference and letter sent home.
5 Unexcused Absences: Formal meeting on the HHS campus.
10 Unexcused Absences: Formal meeting with the GMSD District Office.

The "Rule of 10": Once a student accumulates 10 days of absences (or 10 check-ins/outs), a physician’s verification note is required for all subsequent absences to be excused.

Students requesting a Tennessee learner’s permit or driver’s license must provide a Certificate of Compulsory School Attendance, SF-1010. Houston High students should submit their request using the online form below.

Eligibility Requirements

To receive an attendance certificate, the student must:

Be at least 15 years old
Be currently enrolled at Houston High School
Be in compliance with Tennessee compulsory attendance requirements
Have fewer than 10 consecutive or 15 total unexcused absences during a semester

Students who do not meet the attendance requirements may be denied a certificate.

Request and Pickup Information

Please allow a minimum of two business days, approximately 48 hours, for the request to be processed. Weekends, holidays, and school closures are not included in the processing time.
Once the certificate is ready, the student may pick it up from the HHS Front Office during regular school hours.
The first copy is free. Each additional copy is $1.00.

Important Information

The certificate is valid for 30 days from the date it is signed and issued, so students should plan their Driver Services appointment accordingly.
The original certificate must be presented when applying for a permit or license.
A new request must be submitted if the certificate expires before it is used.

Houston High School Certificate of Attendance Request Form