CFHS Policies-Procedures

Carolina Forest High School
Attendance Procedures for Students
Sign In/ Sign Out Procedures

Sign In
1. Any student who arrives on campus between 8:20 and 9:05 are to enter through the front doors of the main building or the back of G- House and then report directly to their first period class.

2. Any student who arrives on campus after 9:05 is to report to the attendance office, located in the main office, to sign in. This applies even if the student arrives on campus during a change of classes.

Sign out
1. Please do not pick up your child or allow your child to leave early unless it is absolutely necessary. All requests to leave early must be in the form of a handwritten note by the student’s parent/guardian and placed in the attendance bins prior to the start of the school day so that they can be verified. Students who drive to school can come pick up their passes to leave during their lunch period.

2. Never pick up a child from the school without signing him/her out at the attendance office. It is the responsibility of students to abide by these regulations and to make sure that their parents/guardians follow these procedures.

Procedures to Follow After an Absence
1. A lawful note can be dropped off in the attendance bins throughout the school before 8:20am or emailed to cfhattendance@horrycountyschools.net. Please make sure the students name is on this note so that it can be verified.

Carolina Forest High School
Tardy Policy

A tardy is defined as not being inside the assigned classroom when the tardy bell rings.

1st Tardy - Warning
2nd Tardy - Administrative Detention
3rd Tardy - ISS for the block, parent contact
4th Tardy - 1 day OSS, parent contact
5th Tardy - 2 days OSS, parent contact
6th Tardy - 3 days OSS, parent contact
7th Tardy - 5 days OSS, parent contact
8th Tardy - Recommendation for Expulsion

Carolina Forest High School
Attendance Procedures for Students
Hours of Operation
The attendance office will be open from 7:45 to 3:00.

Contact: 
Angie Galczynski -Attendance Clerk - Truancy/Attendance
Ashley Arditi - Attendance Clerk
Chiquitha Johnson - Attendance Clerk/Athletic Admin Asst
 

Attendance Policies

South Carolina state law requires that all children attend school regularly beginning with the school year in which the child is five years of age before September 1st until the child attains his/ her 17th birthday or graduates from high school. Any student who is absent from school without a lawful excuse for three
consecutive days or any five days within the school year is truant and an intervention plan will be created by the school for the student who has excessive absences. A lawful excuse consists of a medical note, death in the family, religious holiday, court documentation with the student’s name on it.

Students Arriving Late
Students arriving on campus before 9:05am should report directly to class and will be marked tardy by their teacher. Students arriving on campus any time after 9:05am must report directly to the attendance office to sign in. Failure to sign in after 9:05am will result in a disciplinary infraction and an assignment of ISS. A pass will be issued by the attendance clerk to enter class. Students who miss more than 45 minutes of a class will be considered absent.

Early Dismissals and Vacations
Please try to schedule dental and medical appointments after school. No child may leave school without a written request from the parent including their signature and a phone number to reach them during the day. All requests should be placed in the attendance bins prior to the start of the school day so that they may be verified. Never pick up a child from the school without signing him/her out through the office. Failure to sign out in the attendance office will result in disciplinary action. Please do not pick up your child early unless it’s absolutely necessary. Any medical/dental excuses need to be submitted within 3 days of the visit.

We strongly discourage student vacations during school time. Carolina Forest High School does not approve absences for reasons other than illness, bereavement, or to attend a legal obligation. We ask you to schedule family vacations during the many school breaks provided. If parents absolutely cannot avoid travel that requires a student to be away from school, these plans and their potential consequences for the child’s learning should be considered. There are no exceptions to this policy.

Procedures to Follow After an Absence
Lawful notes must be submitted to the attendance office within three days of an absence. All medical notes will be verified. Submitting an altered or forged note will result school suspension and the risk of legal charges from the medical facility. Parent notes to excuse an absence will not be accepted.

Don’t Allow Your Student to Become Truant
Unexcused absences include but are not limited to:
a. absences of a student without the knowledge of his or her parents, or
b. absences of a student without acceptable cause with the knowledge of his or her parents. (See
description below.)

What is Truant?
A child ages 6 to 16 years meets the definition of a truant when the child has three consecutive
unexcused absences or a total of five unexcused absences per school year.

Explanation of Attendance Codes
The following codes do not count in the totals for denial of credit due to excessive absences:

Code/Explanation
(SC-MED) Medical/ Dental/ Nurse sent home (Must have a doctor’s note and /or a nurse’s
note.)
(SC-PN) Parent Note 
(SC-BRV) Bereavement/ Funeral (Note from funeral home, copy of newspaper
announcement indicating relationship between student and deceased or copy of
service bulletin/ memory card must be turned in and filed with attendance office.)
(SC-LEG) Court/ Legal (Legal court paper stating when and where the student appeared in
court. A traffic ticket or summons is unacceptable.)
(SC-FT)Field Trip/ School sponsored activity (Teacher will submit attendance roster.)
Guidance/ Administration (Student is with a guidance counselor/ administrator
or is involved in school wide testing.)
(SC-REL)Religious holiday (Must be an approved religious holiday through the district
office.)
(SC-REC)Saturday School (Attendance makeup. Applied only to last day missed. Must be
made up minute for minute.
(SC-ISS)In-School Suspension
(SC-OSS)Out of school suspension

The following codes count in the totals for denial of credit due to excessive absences:
Code/Explanation
(SC – UTRD)-Truancy/ Cutting class or school
(SC – UNEX)-Unverified (No lawful documentation received.)
(SC – UTRD)-Unexcused tardy (Tardies are an attendance issue.)

For further information, see Horry County School’s Parent Student Handbook.

HCS Attendance Policy Updates 2026-2027

Attendance makeup opportunities will be announced later.

Carolina Forest High School
Student Dress Code

CFHS adheres to and enforces the dress code of Horry County Schools as published in the Parent/ Student handbook. The following is a copy of that policy as listed in the district handbook:

Dress Code
Student dress should be confined to clothes that are reasonable, practical, and in good taste for school. School attire should reflect good taste, cleanliness and comfort. The school will make judgments and decisions as needed to preserve the health, safety, and decorum of students. Student cooperation is expected in the following areas:
⮚ Hats, head scarves, headgear, and sunglasses are prohibited inside school buildings.
⮚ The possession of all bandanas is prohibited at CFHS.
⮚ Clothing will be worn so that underwear is not visible. Pants & shirt must always overlap.
⮚ Clothing which is controversial or disruptive is not allowed. No pajamas are allowed. Administration has the discretion to determine what constitutes pajama pants.
⮚ See-through clothing, spaghetti strap tops, tube tops, form-fitting pants, cut-off shirts, halters, or clothes exposing the mid-section or bare shoulders are not allowed. Shirts and blouses are to be buttoned appropriately. Tank tops must have a shoulder strap of at least two inches in width. It is never appropriate to show undergarments.
⮚ Shorts, skirts, and dresses must be longer than the student’s fingertips when his/her fingers are extended arm’s length by his/her side. Slits/holes in clothing must also be no shorter than the student’s fingertips when shoulders are relaxed, and fingers are extended arm’s length by his/her side. Gym shorts, cutoffs, bathing suits, and short shorts are not appropriate at school.
⮚ Shoes/sandals are to be worn at all times at school. No bedroom shoes or “heelies” are allowed.
⮚ Hair styles are left to the individual. Health standards require cleanliness at all times.
⮚ Clothing promoting alcohol, drugs, weapons, sexual behavior, clothing with sexual innuendoes, and/or ethnic derogatory language/graphics is not allowed. The administrative staff has the authority to make judgments in this regard.
⮚ Items such as spiked jewelry (including body piercings), padlocks, and chains are not allowed.

At CFHS we have established the following consequences for violations of the dress code.

1st Offense: Students will be asked to change clothes or reverse the offending garment. Parents will be notified. Students will not be allowed to return to class until the situation has been corrected. Documentation
will be logged in the student’s discipline file.

2nd Offense: Students will be asked to change clothes or reverse the offending garment. Students will be assigned 1 day of ISS. Parent will be notified. Students will not be allowed to return to class until the situation has been corrected.

3rd Offense and Subsequent Offenses: Students will be asked to change clothes or reverse the offending
garment. Students will be assigned OSS. Parents will be notified. The student will not be allowed to return
to class until the situation has been corrected.

On the first offense, students will be offered a chance to correct the violation. If the violation cannot be corrected, the parent will be called to come to the school to bring a change of clothes to the student. Absences missed due to dress code violations will be considered unexcused. If the parent cannot bring an appropriate change of clothes or pick the student up, the student will be placed in ISS for the remainder of the day.

Carolina Forest High School
Cell Phone / Electronic Device Policy

Rationale: Cell phones and/ or electronic devices create disturbances to the learning process. The device should be turned off and not visible, nor in use from 8:20 am until 3:20 pm.

Student Expectations
All cell phones, earbuds, AirPods, and other electronic devices MUST be stored in the location designated by the classroom teacher, away from student desks. Devices must be powered off upon entering the school building and must remain off and out of sight until the end of the school day. Failure to comply with a teacher's established cell phone procedure will result in a Cell Phone Violation and/or a Refusal to Obey/Defiant referral. Devices are not permitted to leave the classroom once in their designated storage area, including during restroom visits or other temporary departures from class. Electronic devices may not be used in locker rooms, restrooms, or any location where their presence creates an unreasonable risk to the safety, welfare, or privacy of others.

Multiple Devices / Decoy Phones
Students may not bring or possess multiple cell phones or electronic communication devices for the purpose of circumventing this policy. Providing a duplicate, inactive, or "decoy" phone to be placed in a classroom storage area while retaining possession of another device is considered a violation of this policy and an act of dishonesty.
If a student is found to be in possession of a second phone or electronic communication device after having placed another device in the designated storage area, the student will receive a Cell Phone Violation and may also be referred for Refusal to Obey/Defiant behavior. All devices in the student's possession may be confiscated and held according to school procedures.

Hallway Use During Instructional Time
Electronic devices may not be used or visible in hallways during class periods or while a student is out of class for any reason, including restroom visits, office passes, counseling appointments, or other authorized departures from the classroom.
Any student observed using, carrying, viewing, texting on, listening to, or otherwise actively possessing a phone or electronic device in the hallway during instructional time will be considered in violation of this policy and will be subject to the disciplinary consequences outlined below.

Students who have received documented administrative approval for a specific exception must carry appropriate documentation and present it upon request by school personnel.

Students with a legitimate need to use a phone during the school day, such as emergencies, should see an administrator.

Privacy and Liability
All electronic devices must be stored according to the classroom teacher's procedures. CFHS is not responsible for lost, stolen, or damaged electronic devices and is not responsible for investigating missing devices.

Exceptions
Students with a legitimate need to use a phone during the school day, including emergency situations or documented administrative accommodations, must receive prior approval from an administrator.

Confiscation Procedures
For every cell phone or electronic device violation:
● Parents/guardians will be notified.
● Confiscated devices will be stored in a secure location until released to a parent or guardian.
● A parent or guardian must pick up the device from the front office between 7:30 a.m. and 8:15 a.m. or between 3:45 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.
● No exceptions will be made to this retrieval procedure.

Disciplinary Consequences:
● 1st violation: Warning
● 2nd violation: 1 day ISS
● 3rd violation: 1 day OSS
● 4th violation: 2 days OSS
● 5th violation: 3 days OSS
● 6th violation: 5 days OSS
● 7th: Evidentiary hearing

If a student refuses to give up their cell phone or electronic device, the student will receive a referral for (270) Refusal to Obey and the following consequences will apply:
● 1st violation: 1 day OSS
● 2nd violation: 1- 3 days OSS
● 3rd violation: 3 - 5 days OSS
● 4th violation: Evidentiary hearing
● Refusal to give a phone/device to an administrator results in 5 Days OSS

The Carolina Forest High School 2026-2027 parking decal application is now available.

Student must have valid SC Driver's License to apply. (Beginners Permits are not allowed)
After your documents uploaded are review/approved, the parking decal fee will be added to your My Payments Plus account as a fee within 48 business hours.  

Approved and paid for parking decals will begin to be issued during the 2nd week of September. 
Until you receive your decal, keep your receipt in your car. You may still drive on campus with your receipt. 

You will be asked for the following:

• Your student's valid SC Driver's License (no beginners permits are allowed)
• Proof of current valid registration for the vehicle
• Proof of current valid insurance for the vehicle

To apply, fill out this Google form:
STUDENT VEHICLE REGISTRATION

CFHS Student Handbook

Horry County Schools Returned Check Policy

P.O. Box 157
Suwanee, GA 30024-0157

Dear Parents/Students:
Envision Payment Solutions is pleased to have been selected by Horry County Schools as its check
service provider.

Please be aware that if your check is returned, it may be re-presented electronically. Also, in presenting a
check for payment, you authorize service charges and processing fees to be debited from the same
account should the check be dishonored. These fees, as permitted by state law, may be debited as a paper
draft or an electronic funds transfer, at our option. Each dishonored item is subject to the applicable state
returned check fees.

Specifically, per South Carolina Code Annotated § 34-11-70, the service fee for returned checks is $30.
(Note that the fee structure will change according to any amendments made to SC law during a
school year.)

If you wish to inquire about a returned check written to Horry County Schools, please contact Envision
Payment Solutions directly at the information listed below.

Thank you. We wish you and your children all the best for this year and beyond.

Sincerely,

Envision Payment Solutions

Customers (check writers) with returned check inquiries should contact:
Envision Payment Solutions
Tel 877.290.5460, or 770.709.3100
Fax 770.709.3007
P.O. Box 157
Suwanee, GA 30024-0157
customerservice@envisionpayments.com

Delivery Information

Attention Carolina Forest High School Parents and Students:

For security purposes, we do not accept ANY deliveries for students. This includes, but is not limited to: floral deliveries, food items, athetic items, etc. We are not responsible for your student's personal property. Please have your student be mindful of having everything they need for the school day and after school activities prior to leaving home for school. If there are any items that are an absolute necessity, you may come to the school and wait in the lobby area until just before class ends and the student may be called to the front office to retrieve the items from you directly. We will not allow items to be left in the front office for any reason. Please also be mindful that NO OUTSIDE RESTAURANT food is allowed to be dropped off for your student.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

HCS Clear Backpack Policy - Details and Examples

As part of the ongoing efforts to prioritize the safety and security of our schools, Horry County Schools (HCS) is continuing to implement additional protocols and procedures for the school year. We know it takes a team effort of our staff, students, and parents working together to provide the safest environment possible. One of the new safety protocols is the requirement that all students who choose to carry a backpack must use a clear backpack during the school year.

 CFHS Prohibited Items (Flight of Knowledge)

To promote a safe and orderly school environment, any item that causes an interruption to the academic atmosphere or proves to be a safety hazard will not be allowed on campus. Below is a list of those prohibited items.
**The list below is not all-inclusive but is intended as a guide.**