Compulsory Attendance Law

SS 1.0

Students in Catholic Schools must comply with Maryland State law concerning compulsory attendance.  The law requires regular attendance during the entire school year.  Students are held accountable for time(s) they are absent from school.  A principal may excuse a student for a necessary absence.

Regular school attendance is expected in order for students to achieve their academic potential.  Each student’s attendance is carefully recorded and permanently retained.  Therefore, absence for reasons such as a vacation is strongly discouraged.  Excessive absence has a serious impact on the student’s academic performance.

Purpose:

• To ensure the continuous development and progress of the child’s education.

Commentary/Procedural Points:

• Unlawful absences are considered truant.  The school informs parents that if truancy persists, the public authorities will be notified.

• More than 20 days absence per year is considered excessive.  The school establishes local regulations regarding the consequences for excessive absenteeism and outlines these policies in the Parent/Student Handbook. These cases are brought to the attention of the appropriate Associate Superintendent.

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• A student can only be marked “Present” if he is physically in school.

• When a student has a chronic or intermittent health problem, parents should contact the Local Educational Agency (LEA) for Home and Hospital Services.

• For home hospital services, the parent must enroll the student in the local public school.

References:

• MD Education Code Annotated 7-301 - https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&cx=007821330218074952993:ugglyla9k1c&q=https://marylandpublicschools.org/about/Documents/DSFSS/SSSP/SchoolCounseling/CompulsoryAge18.pdf&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwjJ1srM6Or9AhU8GVkFHVISDIgQFnoECAYQAQ&usg=AOvVaw3X03jBJLjdhJDx1_kM__iC

• COMAR Web Site - https://dsd.maryland.gov/Pages/COMARHome.aspx

April 21, 2016