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Attendance

Attendance at Cambridge High School

Why Attendance Matters

At Cambridge High School, we believe attendance is a community effort. Being present—on time and every day—is one of the strongest predictors of academic success, student well-being, and postsecondary readiness. Our data shows that when students miss more than 10% of school days, they fall behind academically and disengage socially.

In the 2024–2025 school year, our chronic absenteeism rate was 21.2%. Our goal for 2025–2026 is to reduce this rate to below 17%, with a special focus on building a Cambridge community culture that values instructional time and achievement in academics, arts, and athletics.

We are committed to meeting this goal together. Families should expect weekly attendance updates from the school and consistent communication if a student becomes at risk. Every student matters—and every day counts.

Tiered Attendance Supports

We use a tiered system to identify and support students based on their attendance patterns:

  • Tier 1 – For all students: schoolwide messaging, attendance incentives, classroom recognition, and regular communication.
  • Tier 2 – For students with 5–9 absences: targeted outreach, mentor check-ins, parent phone calls, and goal-setting.
  • Tier 3 – For students with 10+ absences: case management, family meetings, social work referrals, and support plans.

Families of students in Tiers 2 and 3 will receive more frequent communication, resources, and follow-up to help remove barriers to attendance. We are here to partner with you.

Attendance Matters

In order for students in Fulton County Schools to learn and achieve to their fullest potential, it is critical that they attend school and are engaged in the learning process. Student absences, whether excused or unexcused, impact a child's ability to succeed in school. To increase student attendance in school, students need to feel valued, engaged, and safe at school. Parents/Guardians will be notified more often based on all absences, regardless of whether a student is excused or unexcused.

Fulton County Schools: Attendance Matters

House Bill 1190

House Bill 1190 (section 10 – Minimum Number of Unexcused Absences – 20- 2-690.1) adds responsibilities for parents and guardians of school-age children who have five or more days of unexcused absences in a school year. As required by HB 1190, a letter from the CHS administration will be sent to parents of students who have more than five unexcused absences explaining the consequences of the law. This letter must be signed by the parent and student and returned to Cambridge High School.

If a student continues to accrue excessive unexcused absences after parent notification, the case will be referred to the school social worker, and a case may be pursued through the Fulton County Juvenile Court. Students who miss more than ten consecutive school days without medical documentation may be withdrawn.