(a) Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, if a student’s parent, custodian or other person with legal custody or control of the student is a member of the United States armed forces, including a member of a state national guard or a reserve component called to federal active duty, a public school principal shall give the student:

Terms Used In Tennessee Code 49-6-3019

  • Person: includes a corporation, firm, company or association. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Public school: means any school operated by an LEA or by the state with public funds. See Tennessee Code 49-6-3001
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • United States: includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Year: means a calendar year, unless otherwise expressed. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
(1) An excused absence for one (1) day when the member is deployed;
(2) An additional excused absence for one (1) day when the service member returns from deployment;
(3) Excused absences for up to ten (10) days for visitation when the member is granted rest and recuperation leave and is stationed out of the country; and
(4) Excused absences for up to ten (10) days cumulatively within the school year for visitation during the member’s deployment cycle. Total excused absences under subdivisions (a)(3) and (4) shall not exceed a total of ten (10) days within the school year. The student shall provide documentation to the school as proof of the service member’s deployment.
(b) Students receiving an excused absence under this section shall have the opportunity to make up school work missed and shall not have their class grades adversely affected for lack of class attendance or class participation due to the excused absence.