Attendance

Regular attendance is the key to student success. students should remain out of school only when absolutely necessary, such as in the event of an illness. Students must be fever-free without medication for 24 hours before returning to school.

Pinnacle High School Attendance Line

Pinnacle High School Attendance Line: (602) 449-4001 

General Attendance Procedures

Parents of absent students are expected to notify the attendance office by phone on the day of absence and before 3:00 p.m. If notification is not made to the school before 3:30 p.m., the absence will be considered unexcused. A phone dialer system will notify parents of unexcused absences.

• Notify the attendance office on the morning of a pre-planned early departure. The attendance office will prepare a Request for Student permit that will allow a student to leave the classroom for excused early dismissal. Students are responsible for picking up the Request for Student permit before school or in passing periods. Students will not be called out of class when prior notification has not been given to the attendance office, or if the student fails to pick up the Request for Student permit.

• Always check in and check out through the attendance office when arriving late or leaving early. Failure to check out through the attendance office prior to leaving school during school hours is a violation of leaving schools grounds without permission and the absence will be recorded as unexcused. A person picking up a student must be listed on the student's emergency card and show valid photo I.D. A parent must call ahead for a student to be excused and released to an emergency contact.

• If a person not listed on the emergency card is coming to pick up a students, the parent must call ahead of time to inform the attendance office. That individual will need to present a photo ID in order for a student to be released to that person.

• Check in with the Heath Center to report illness or injury that occurs during school hours. Only the school nurse can determine if a student is too ill to remain on campus. The Health Center will notify attendance when students are released early because of illness or injury.

Excessive Absences

Arizona law requires students to attend school through the completion of the 10th grade or to the age of 16. A student who is absent from class in excess of 10 percent of the number of days the class is in session is at risk of failing the course. Medical documentation from a doctor will be required to further excuse absences in excess of 10 percent of the days the class is in session. Without medical documentation, these absences will be considered truant.  

As required by Arizona State law, a student truant for nine consecutive days will be withdrawn from school.

Tardy Policy

Adequate time is allotted for student travel from one classroom to the next. A student is considered tardy when arriving to school or class after the scheduled start time. Students arriving tardy to the classroom disrupt instruction and student learning; therefore, there may be disciplinary consequence for tardy arrival to the classroom.  

If a student arrives late, up to 20 minutes after the start of the first class period, a parent must sign the student in at the attendance office in order for the student to be excused. The student will be recorded as tardy unless verification if provided for doctor/dental, or legal appointments. A student arriving later than 10 minutes after the scheduled start time and without verification from the attendance office, counselor, or administrator will be recorded as truant from the class. Truancy is a serious violation of campus rules and may result in student discipline.

Students will receive discipline after 5 recorded events of tardiness. For every five tardies, students will be assigned a consequence of after school detention on Wednesday. Parents and students will be notified by email of the assigned detention, and failure to attend the detention will result in a half day in school detention from 7:30 to 11:30 am. Tardies are totaled on a per quarter basis and are cumulative, counting all class periods. The tardy count resets at the beginning of each quarter. All students are expected to monitor Infinite Campus and their attendance data.

The campus perimeter gates begin to close at 7:29 a.m.

Students are expected to be inside the gates at this time to arrive in the classroom by 7:30 a.m.

Four (4) referrals may affect the future parking eligibility for current 9th, 10th, and 11th graders. 

Tardy Progressive Consequences

1-4 Tardies

Conference with the student may occur, including front gate staff warning and teacher reminders in classroom or hallway settings.

5 Tardies

One (1) hour detention Wednesday after school.

10 Tardies

1 hour detention on Wednesday afternoon (Loss of parking pass for 1 week if applicable)

15 Tardies

1 hour detention / may result in 1 day suspension from school (Parking Pass revoked, if applicable)