• Attendance is crucial for student success.  School Attendance rules are detailed in the UCPS and PRHS Student Handbooks linked below. 

    • UCPS Student Handbook - see this resource to review policies surrounding attendance, including excused and unexcused absences, course failure due to excessive absences, attendance recovery, tardies, and exam exemptions. 

      • Student Attendance

        Student attendance at school is expected and is necessary for students to make the most of their learning. If a student misses 8 or more days of school in a semester, whether the absences are excused or unexcused, the student will fail the course due to attendance. Please work with us as we try to teach our students that attendance is required, just as it would be at a job in their future. 

        • Students must turn in absence excuse notes to the Attendance Counselor BEFORE the start of the school day.

        • Per BOE attendance policy the school may require doctor/medical notes after 5 days of absences (whether those five days are separate days or continuous days).  PRHS will require a doctor/medical note after 5 days of absence.  If that is not received, the absence will remain as unexcused.  Parent notes are ONLY accepted for the first five days that a student is absent.

        • All notes should be submitted within FIVE school days after the end of an absence to document the reason for the absence. A parent note must be signed by a parent or guardian with a work and home telephone number for further clarification.  An absence will be recorded as unexcused until the note is submitted. It is important to turn notes in quickly so that teachers know whether the absence is excused or unexcused. 

        • All parent notes are subject to review and may result in a required parent-administration meeting in order to be considered.  All doctor/medical notes are subject to verification with the doctor/medical office. 

    • PRHS Student Handbook - see this resource to review PRHS procedures surrounding absence notes, make-up work, class attendance, tardies, educational opportunity requests, and attendance recovery.  Please note that PRHS procedures include: Students should turn all parent/doctor notes in within FIVE school days after the end of an absence to document the reason for the absence. A parent note must be signed by a parent or guardian with a work and home telephone number for further clarification.  An absence will be recorded as unexcused until the acceptable parent/ doctor note is submitted. 
    • Educational Opportunity Application - this request must be submitted at least TEN days in advance of the start of the opportunity to be approved.  If it is received after this time, it will be denied. 
    • Exam Exemption Policy applies to teacher-made final exams only and criteria are very straight-forward:  High School students will not be required to take a teacher-made final exam in a course in the following situations: • The student has an average of 90 or above the week prior to the administration of the exam and has no more than 2 unexcused absences in the class; OR • The student has an average of 80 or above the week prior to the administration of the exam and has no more than 1 unexcused absence in the class. 
      • Teachers will notify students of their likely exam exemption status at least four days prior to the first exam date. The exam exemption status can change up to the first day of exams based on attendance.  In order to maintain the likely exam exemption status provided at least four days prior to the first exam date, students must attend every day leading up to the first day of exams. 

    Attendance Counselor:  Ms. Andrea Ortega - Ms. Ortega is the Attendance Counselor for the Porter Ridge Cluster of schools which includes: Porter Ridge High School, Porter Ridge Middle School, Hemby Bridge Elementary, Poplin Elementary, Porter Ridge Elementary, Sardis Elementary, Stallings Elementary. 

    Families should reach out to Ms. Ortega for information about school attendance.  

    Andrea.Ortega@ucps.k12.nc.us

    Students' Counselors are also excellent resources for parents and students in regards to attendance concerns.