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<br />NCGA General Statutes • GS § L 15C-378. Children required to attend. <br />Article 26. <br />Attendance. <br />Part 1. Compulsory Attendance. <br />§ 115C-378. Children required to attend. <br />Every parent, guardian or other person in this State <br />having charge or control of a child between the ages of seven <br />and 16 years shall cause such child to attend school <br />continuously for a period equal to the time which the public <br />school to which the child is assigned shall be in session. Every <br />parent, guardian, or other person in this State having charge or <br />control of a child under age seven who is enrolled in a public <br />school in grades kindergarten through two shall also cause such <br />child to attend school continuously for a period equal to the <br />time which the public school to which the child is assigned <br />shall be in session unless the child has withdrawn from school. <br />No person shall encourage, entice or counsel any such child to <br />be unlawfully absent from school. The parent, guardian, or <br />custodian of a child shall notify the school of the reason for <br />each known absence of the child, in accordance with local school <br />policy. <br />The principal, superintendent, or teacher who is in charge of <br />such school shall have the right to excuse a child temporarily <br />from attendance on account of sickness or other unavoidable <br />cause which does not constitute unlawful absence as defined by <br />the State Board of Education. The term "school" as used herein <br />is defined to embrace all public schools and such nonpublic <br />schools as have teachers and curricula that are approved by the <br />State Board of Education. <br />AlI nonpublic schools receiving and instructing children of a <br />compulsory school age shall be required to keep such records of <br />attendance and render such reports of the attendance of such <br />children and maintain such minimum curriculum standards as are <br />required of public schools; and attendance upon such schools, if <br />the school refuses or neglects to keep such records or to render <br />such reports, shall not be accepted in lieu of attendance upon <br />the public school of the district to which the child shall be <br />assigned: Provided, that instruction in a nonpublic school shall <br />not be regarded as meeting the requirements of the law unless <br />the courses of instruction run concurrently with the term of the <br />public school in the district and extend for at least as long a <br />term. <br />The principal or his designee shall notify the parent, <br />guardian, or custodian of his child's excessive absences after <br />the child has accumulated three unexcused absences in a school <br />year. After not more than six unexcused absences, the principal <br />shall notify the parent, guardian, or custodian by mail that he <br />may be in violation of the Compulsory Attendance Law and may be <br />prosecuted if the absences cannot be justified under the <br />established attendance policies of the State and local boards of <br />education. Once the parents are notified, the school attendance <br />counselor shall work with the child and his family to analyze <br />the causes of the absences and determine steps, including <br />adjustment of the school program or obtaining supplemental <br />services, to eliminate the problem. The attendance counselor may <br />http:/lwww.ncga,state.nc.us/Statutes/GeneralStatutes/I-ITML/BySection/Chapter_115C/GS_I15G378.html Page L oft <br />