Students must be on time and present in class each and every day in order to guarantee their academic success. Students cannot learn course content and skills if they are not present for instruction and support from their teachers.  Additionally, getting into good, regular practice of being on time and present instills important lifelong skills for success in College and Career after high school.

Cocoa High Attendance Requirements:

Florida law (Section 1003.436, Florida Statute) defines a full credit as a minimum 135 hours of bona fide instruction in a designated course of study. Attendance and Enrollment FDOE.  The Bevard Public schools Student Progression Plan 2021-2022_Student_Progression_Plan_FINAL  (pg 44) and BPS School Board Policy 5200 http://go.boarddocs.com/fl/brevco/Board.nsf/goto?open&id=B4LBZC7D5EFE provide further information regarding attendance requirements.

In grades 7-12, students earn individual course credit, and therefore cannot miss more than 9 days UNEXCUSED absences in any single class period/ course without risking failing a course due to attendance (FA).  Excused absences: court dates, religious holidays, illness with medical documentation, chronic and extended illness.  At Cocoa High, documentation for excused absences must be submitted to the attendance clerk in the front office within 10 school days of the student's return to school. Students who miss more than half of a class due to tardy or late check-in will be counted absent from that class period.

If a student has a chronic health condition, a chronic health care form can be obtained from the school nurse, or with the assistance of the student's guidance counselor.

Student daily attendance is entered into Focus by the student's teachers.  If there is a question about an absence, the student should inquire of the teacher prior to contacting the attendance clerk or cohort administrator. We recommend that students use their student planner to document their daily attendance as a means of verifying their attendance in class each day.

Any student who misses 15 or more school days within a 90 day period is considered habitually truant and will be referred to our truancy process (see board policy).  Additionally, students who are 14 and older can have their Driver's License or Permit suspended for truancy.

For those students who have 9 or more unexcused absences in a semester, there is the FA Appeals Process whereby the student can submit an FA waiver request to the attendance committee.  The FA Appeals Committee will take into consideration extenuating circumstances but is not required to approve the appeal request.  The decision of the FA Committee could result in the waiver appeal being granted (the student receives the earned grade), the student being put on an attendance contract for the following semester to earn the grades back, or the appeal being denied.  For appeals that are contracted or denied, the student will earn a grade of "FA" for the semester grade, which calculates as an "F" into the student's overall GPA.  FA grades can be earned back with approval from administration.  Students and families should meet with their guidance counselor to discuss options. When submitting an FA Waiver Appeal Packet, the parent/guardian is strongly recommended to review and contribute to the appeal request.

The FA committee meets twice a year to review attendance appeals: December and May.   Students should contact their gudiance counselor for questions and/or assistance on how to appeal an FA grade.

For additional questions:

Attendance Clerk Ashley Parham parham.ashley@brevardschools.org

MTSS Coordinator Mr. Wayne Lawrence lawrence.wayne@brevardschools.org

BPS Truancy Specialist Ms. Stephanie Brandenburg brandenburg.stephanie@brevardschools.org