• 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. 
    • 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 are allowed FIVE school days after the end of an absence to bring a parent/ doctor note 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 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.