The Compulsory School Attendance Law in Tennessee (TCA-49-6-3001) requires children (ages 6-17 inclusive) to attend school each day. Students who accumulate five (5) days of unexcused absences will be required to participate in a conference with their parent/legal guardian and may be referred to Juvenile Court according to the CMCSS Progressive Truancy Intervention Plan (STS-P010). The following are official or adequate excuses that should be turned in to the Attendance Secretary by fax, email, or in person at the school front office:

• Parents or legal guardians may submit notes for students to be excused up to five (5) days per school year for any reason.
• Medical note (doctor, dentist, hospital, etc.) for which the student was a patient
• Court note for which the student was required to be in court
• Funeral notice (obituary/funeral program of a family member)
• Military deployment paperwork-for military dependents, TN Law (TCA 49-6-3019) allows the following for out of country deployments:
  • 1 excused absence when the parent leaves for deployment
  • 1 excused absence when the parent returns at the end of a deployment
  • Up to ten (10) days excused absences when the parent is home from the deployment for Rest and Recuperation
  • In addition, local policy allows up to five (5) consecutive days of excused absences (either before or after the deployment) when the parent deployment is less than twelve (12) months
  • Military paperwork/documentation MUST be provided to the school for these to be excused.