Student Services
The Student Services team is available to assist families with various needs. Located in the Greenwood Building near Central Services Gracey, Student Services will support families with the following services. (Click on the links below for more additional resources.)
Attendance
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 in the school 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.
For high school and middle school classes, an absence per class is defined as missing ten (10) or more minutes of the class period.
Make-up work: (Including suspension and remandment) Upon the first day of returning to school, it is the student’s responsibility to make contact with the teacher(s) regarding make-up work. During the school year, make-up work must be completed within a number of days equal to the number of consecutive days of the absences. A grade of “0” shall be entered into the teacher’s grade book for any missing work until the assignments have been completed and turned in.
Out-of-school suspensions shall be deemed unexcused absences.
Progressive Truancy Plan
Clothing, Mental & Physical Health Supports: Contact your child’s School Counselor
Housing: Contact Donna Brann, [email protected], or Hayley Stoebner, [email protected], or call 931-648-5600.
Food: Contact the Child Nutrition Department at 931- 920-7842. If you feel your child is eligible for free or reduced meals, register online at schoolcafe.com.
Academic Support: Contact your child’s School Counselor or Student Support Coordinator
Discipline
Enrollment
The Enrollment Center serves as a centralized location for parents and guardians to register their children and obtain documentation, resources, and support for the enrollment process. Parents and guardians are able to complete the registration process at the Enrollment Center, including the ability to submit important registration documents such as birth certificates, health forms, statement of residence, etc., which will be scanned and sent electronically to the school at which the child is zoned. Parents and guardians still have the option to complete the enrollment process at their child’s zoned school when buildings are open and staff is available during the school year. For more information regarding registration and enrollment, click here.
Homebound
Homebound instruction shall be provided to the student a minimum of 10 school days up to a maximum of 30 school days; usually three hours per week (2 sessions of 1.5 hours each).
When a student needs homebound instruction beyond 30 school days, the licensed treating physician/psychiatrist must certify in writing the need for additional services.
View the Requesting and Receiving Homebound Instruction Procedure (pdf).
Homeschool
In Tennessee, parents have the option to educate their children at home, an option known as homeschooling or home education. The CMCSS Student Services Department is the point of contact for homeschooling questions.
Parents in Tennessee may choose to home school their own children in grades K – 12. The Tennessee Home School law (Tennessee Code Annotated § 49-6-3050) states: “A home school is a school conducted or directed by a parent or parents or a legal guardian or guardians for their own children.”
Parents desiring to home school their own children may do so by choosing one of the following three options.
- Independent Home School
- Church-related Umbrella School
- Accredited Online School