What is UAF's Attendance Policy?

• In case of absence, parents must call or email the school at absent@uaftampa.org by 11.59 a.m. to explain the reason(s) for their child(ren)’s absence.  

• Morning arrival and Homeroom is from 8:00- 8:20 am. Students arriving after 8:20 am must report to our Main Office with their parent to get a tardy pass.

• Parents need to make sure to notify the teachers, Divisional Head and the Principal if they plan on traveling with their child)reb) PRIOR to traveling. Absence for the students that are traveling is considered an unexcused absence, unless the reason is approved by the Principal.

Why is attendance important?

Regular attendance is vital to student’s success in school. The student who is frequently absent misses direct instruction from his/her teachers even though written work can be made up. Any day or hour absent is a missed learning opportunity. Also, students that are on Step Up or other scholarships may lose their scholarships if they do not attend a certain number of days as part of their guidelines.

What happens if I forget to call or email the school for my child’s absence on the day of his/her absence?

You may call or email absent@uaftampa.org to verify your child’s absence up to 72 hours after your child has been absent. Absences that are not verified within the time allowed will be considered unexcused absences.

What are the acceptable reasons for an Excused absence?

UAF follows Hillsborough County Public Schools' Attendance Policy and considers the following factors to be make the absences as excused for time missed at school:

  A. Personal illness of the student -  A student who has demonstrated a pattern of absences due to illness may be required to present medical verification to the principal.
  B. Court appearance of the student
  C. Medical appointment of the student
  A note from a health care provider may be required.
  D. Emergencies approved by the principal
  A written request from the parent/legal guardian is submitted to the principal at least three days prior to the date of absence. The parent will be notified of the decision. Absence for the students that are traveling and are not able to attend their zoom sessions are not considered an excused absence, unless the reason is approved by the Principal.
  E. Attendance at a center under Children and Families Services supervision
  F. Accident resulting in injury to the student
  G. Observance of an established religious holiday
  H. Death of a close relative
  For purposes of this policy, close relatives shall be defined as the father, mother, brother, sister,stepbrother, stepsister, half-sister, half-brother, uncle, aunt, niece, nephew, grandparents, or members of his/her own household.
Absences not included in excused absences listed above shall be unexcused.

Absences & Tardies 

• Although some assignments may be completed at a later date, a student can never make up for a day missed at school.  The interaction and instruction that take place in the classroom are equally as valuable as written assignments.  Students should only be absent from school in case of illness, unusual family difficulties, or emergencies.  Other absences should be avoided and, in fact, constitute truancy.

• Students that are tardy to school in excess of 10 times per quarter will not be eligible to receive any honor roll awards.

• Students are expected to attend classes regularly, so that they may reap the optimal benefit.

• In case of absence, parents must contact the school office by 12 p.m. to explain the reason(s) for their child(ren)’s absence. Students who miss class will receive a zero for classwork, if the reason is unexcused. After 10 tardies, Admin may require a meeting with the parent. Every 3 tardies will be counted as Unexcused absence. 

• A student is permitted no more than 18 absences per semester in order not to be placed on probation. 

• Absences must be called on the same day the student is absent , otherwise, the absence will be considered unexcused. 

• If a student has missed 3 days or more, a Dr’s note will be required to excuse the student. 

• Students missing exams will be required to retake the exams. If a student has excessive absences that happen to fall on a test day, the administration has the right to deny the student from taking the test earning the student a zero. Students will not be permitted to take early midterm or final exams. Please note: students taking late exams will not be eligible for honor roll awards. 

• Make-up assignments should be obtained from each teacher by the student and completed within the same number of days missed, i.e., if the student is absent for two days, the student must complete the make-up work within two days after he/she returns to school.  The same rule applies to tests and quizzes. In the case of patterns arising in absence, the administration will request a meeting with the parents. 

Students missing more than 20% of the school year will not pass to the next grade level. 

VPK Attendance

• VPK Attendance: Students enrolled in the VPK (Voluntary Prekindergarten) Program must have their attendance verified by their parent(s) at the end of each month. During the designated days, parents must sign the Child Attendance Form for it to be valid.

• VPK Parents are required to sign a monthly child attendance certificate verifying their child’s daily attendance in the program at the end of the month. Failure to do so could result in termination of your child from the VPK program. 

Arrival/Dismissal Procedures:  Please enter from Orient Road gate and exit from Sligh Gate for morning arrival and dismissal.

• Morning arrival and Homeroom is from 8:00- 8:20 am. Students arriving after 8:20 am are considered tardy and must report to our Main Office with their parent to get a tardy pass.

• Breakfast hours are from 7:40 am to 8:00 am. Students who are eating breakfast in the cafeteria may arrive at 7:40 am. All other students should not arrive prior to 8:00 a.m.  Please do not drop off your child(ren) before 7:40 am for breakfast as they should not be on campus unsupervised.

• Dismissal starts at 3:05 pm on Monday - Thursday and 1:03 pm on Fridays. Half day dismissal is at 12:20pm.  Students must be picked up within 20 minutes after dismissal starts, otherwise the parents will be charged for aftercare services.  Please visit https://www.uaftampa.org/aftercare for aftercare rates and details. 

• We have provided each family with two car tags to be used when your child(ren) are picked up from school at the end of the day.  Please make sure to clearly display the car tag on your vehicles or bring it with you when picking up your child if you park across the street. Anyone else that you send to pick up your child must also have this tag to display. If they do not have the tag, they will be required to come to the office to show proper identification.

• Visit our UAF Instagram Page (https://www.instagram.com/universalacademyofflorida/) page and stay updated about fun information and pictures of our events!
• Please click here for UAF's Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/UAF-107678428204225
• Please click here for UAF's Facebook Group : www.facebook.com/groups/1598505296998308

• PlusPortals: (www.plusportals.com/UniversalAcademy)

PlusPortals allow parents and students to engage with teachers and administrators in a secure environment. You can also get information about your child's progress, recent scores, attendance totals, discipline incidents and homework/assignments on the Plus Portal. All new or returning inactive parents must have received an email last week with instructions on logging in. If you have not done so already, please access your account as soon as possible to view your child(ren)'s grades and communicate with your child's teachers! Please call the front office if you need assistance with creating the account. 

• For all IT related questions, please email:it@uaftampa.org