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Missing school adds up faster than you might think.

Did you know that chronic absenteeism includes all types of absences?

Excused absences, unexcused absences, and suspensions all contribute to chronic absenteeism. A student is considered chronically absent when they miss 50% or more of the instructional day for any reason for 10% or more of their enrollment period.

That 10% is based on the individual students enrollment

• 40 Days Enrolled= 4 days absent

• 90 Days Enrolled= 9 days absent

• 130 Days Enrolled= 13 days absent

• 180 Days Enrolled= 18 days absent

Visit your school’s Attendance webpage located under the Parents tab in the menu for important attendance information and procedures.

Every day in school is another opportunity to learn, connect and succeed. Be here today. Be ready tomorrow.

#AttendanceCheck #AttendanceAwareness #AttendanceMatters #HereTodayReadyForTomorrow

AIKEN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT, SEPTEMBER 29 BOARD MEETING
The Board of Education will hold a specially called meeting on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, beginning at 6:00 p.m.  Please visit https://www.acpsd.net/page/board-meeting-livestream to view the meeting agenda and access the livestream when the meeting begins. Board Meetings are open to the public, although seating is limited. Our School Board Representatives may be contacted for any questions from our community stakeholders. Their contact information is available from that link as well.

Happy National HR Professionals Day!

Today we celebrate the HR professionals who help make our district a great place to works. From supporting employees and welcoming new team members to navigating important processes and helping our schools and departments meet their needs, their work impacts every part of our district.

Thank you to our HR team for the knowledge, care and dedication you bring to supporting our employees every day. We appreciate all that you do for ACPSD!

#ACPSDCelebrates #HRProfessionalsDay

Aiken County Public School District proudly hosted its 5th Annual Principal For A Day this week, welcoming community leaders into schools across the District for a firsthand look at the work, leadership, and dedication that shape each school day. 

While a handful of our honorary principals served on Wednesday, the majority spent today alongside their school principals visiting classrooms, meeting students and staff, while experiencing their buildings in action seeing the energy, activity, and special moments that make each school community unique. 

This year’s Principals For A Day represented a wide range of community partners, including elected officials, businesses, media personalities, healthcare programs, nonprofit organizations, higher education institutions, faith-based organizations and more.

Our honorary principals gathered together for a special 'Principals Meeting' at our District Office with a lunch sponsored by Chartwells. We enjoyed hearing their incredible takeaways from their time in our schools.

Principal For A Day is about more than spending a few hours inside a school. It is an opportunity to strengthen relationships between our schools and community, build an understanding of the work happening in our buildings each day, and create connections that can continue long after the event ends. 

#ACPSDcelebrates #PrincipalForADayACPSD

What is Truancy?

Regular attendance helps students stay connected to learning, classmates, and their school community. Truancy refers to unexcused absences that meet certain thresholds established by state law.

For students ages 6-17, a student may be considered truant after:

• Three consecutive days of unexcused absences, or

• Five or more total unexcused absences during the school year.

Note: Only full-day unexcused absences contribute to truancy; excused absences and suspensions do not affect truancy.

How can you help?

If your student will be absent, make sure you communicate with the school and provide any required documentation as soon as possible. You can find more information on submitting notes on the Academics webpage on your school website under the Parents tab in the menu.

Every school day is an opportunity to learn, connect, and grow. Let's make each day count!

#AttendanceCheck #AttendanceAwareness #AttendanceMatters #HereTodayReadyForTomorrow

Fall Break is right around the corner! Have you signed your student up for Fall Intersession yet?

ACPSD’s Fall Break is September 28–October 9, 2026, with Fall Intersession opportunities available September 28–October 1.

Families can choose from a variety of learning, enrichment, and community-sponsored opportunities for students across the District. Spots are limited for some programs, so families are encouraged to review the available options and register as soon as possible.

Be sure to check each program’s flyer for specific dates, locations, grade levels, and registration information.

Learn more and explore available opportunities at:
www.acpsd.net/page/intersession

We’re looking forward to a Fall Intersession filled with opportunities for students to learn, explore, create, and have fun before enjoying Fall Break!

AIKEN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT, SEPTEMBER 22 BOARD MEETING
The Board of Education will hold a regular meeting on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, beginning at 6:00 p.m.  Please visit https://www.acpsd.net/page/board-meeting-livestream to view the meeting agenda and access the livestream when the meeting begins. Board Meetings are open to the public, although seating is limited. Our School Board Representatives may be contacted for any questions from our community stakeholders. Their contact information is available from that link as well.

You are invited to our Bus Driver Recruitment Event, which will be held on October 6, 2026, at the Transportation Office located at 2457 Jefferson Davis Hwy, Warrenville, SC 29851. The event will take place from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM.

We will be conducting interviews and providing information about driver training. No experience is required. Please come prepared for an interview and bring your resume which should include reference contact information. Interviews will be conducted on a first-come, first-served basis.

Pre-registration is highly recommended to ensure a faster, smoother check-in experience, but walk-ins are welcome. Registration opens September 28th so make sure to check back on our socials!

If you have additional questions, please reach out to Hope Mullins at hmullins@acpsd.net or Erin Beck at ebeck@acpsd.net.

Help us congratulate Mrs. Amy Hadden, a 5th grade teacher at Hammond Hill Elementary, for being named a Golden Apple Award Teacher by WJBF News Channel 6!

She was one of five Aiken County teachers that were surprised in their classrooms by WJBF News Channel 6 and sponsor Kroger as a Golden Apple Award winner. Her segment will air on WJBF on Tuesday, September 22 during the 5:30 PM broadcast.

Mrs. Hadden, who teaches math and science, has taught at Hammond Hill Elementary for 20 years and takes pride in the preparation that fifth graders get before going to middle school.

“We are really big on making sure they are responsible, and we always tell them you are responsible for your own learning,” Mrs. Hadden shared. “I do the video (lesson recaps) because I told them that they're responsible for what they miss, and, and so I feel like it's a privilege to get them ready for middle school and high school, and prepare them. I hope that I'm helping them for the world out there.”

Happy National Finance, Accounting & Bookkeeping Week!

This week, we are recognizing and celebrating the dedicated finance, accounting and bookkeeping professionals who keep our district running smoothly behind the scenes.

Thank you for bringing accuracy, organization and dedication to work every day. We appreciate all that you do to support our students, staff and schools!

Half of a day = a FULL absence

Under South Carolina attendance rules, missing half of a school day counts as a full absence. One way families can help is by scheduling routine appointments early in the morning or later in the afternoon, when possible, to minimize time missed from school.

Small scheduling choices can help students stay in class and on track with their learning.

Area 5 Community Input: We want to hear from you!

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our recent Area 5 community input meeting. During the meeting, we shared information on the proposed plan of constructing a middle school addition on the campus of the new Silver Bluff High School to serve students currently attending Jackson and New Ellenton middle schools. We also covered the consideration of renovating and repurposing New Ellenton Middle School as an elementary school for students currently attending Greendale Elementary. School Board members previewed this plan during their August 25th meeting.

If you were unable to attend our New Ellenton and Jackson Middle School meetings, or would like to revisit the information that was presented, the Jackson Middle School presentation is now available on YouTube.

We also invite Area 5 families, staff, and community members to share their feedback through our Community Input Survey.

Your input helps us better understand the priorities and perspectives of our community.

Attendance matters and it can make a real difference in student achievement!

When students miss school regularly, they miss important instruction, opportunities to practice skills, and a chance to stay on track with their learning. State data shows that only 23% of chronically absent students perform at grade level in math, compared to nearly half of students who attend school regularly.

Developing a consistent bedtime and morning routine could improve attendance. Even developing a backup plan for transportation could also help prevent unexpected absences.

Every day in school is an opportunity to learn, grow, and make progress. Let's work together to make every day count!