Attendance Policy

MCPS Regulation JEARA, E3 policy states, “students with five unlawful absences in a class will automatically be notified to submit an appeal of the recording of their absences if they or their Parents/guardians believe any absence was recorded incorrectly, or develop an attendance intervention plan (AIP) with the school counselors and administrators.” Parents and Guardians will receive the MCPS 3-day warning letter of possible failure due to attendance and the MCPS 5-day letter notifying of failure due to attendance. The high school diploma is issued by the State of Maryland, and high school attendance is governed by state regulatory law and reasons for lawful excused absences are limited at the high school level.  It is important to read the Attendance Policy section of this handbook carefully.  Absences from school or individual classes, excused or unexcused, beyond five per quarter or ten per semester are considered excessive absences.   It is important to be aware that absences reported on both report cards and transcripts do not distinguish between excused and unexcused absences.

• Students must attend all scheduled classes and must report directly to class when they arrive to school.  First period begins at 7:45 am daily.

• Students requesting an early dismissal must turn in their note to the Attendance Office before school.  Every student with an authorized early departure must sign out at the Attendance Office when leaving the building and sign in upon returning.

• A note from a parent/caregiver/guardian is required to excuse any absence.  A physician’s note is required for any absence of five (5) or more days due to illness.

• Absences of fewer than five (5) consecutive days, but which occur on a frequent basis such as one or two absences every week or two will require medical documentation so that the school may support both the wellness and the academic progress of the student.

• Unexcused Absences of greater than ten (10) consecutive days will result in withdrawal due to non-attendance

  • In order to be in line with MSDE guidelines and other school districts in Maryland, MCPS has reduced the number of days from 15 to 10 for students to be withdrawn for non-attendance.

• Notes regarding absences must be presented to the Attendance Office within three (3) days of returning to school.

• Students who anticipate being absent should bring a note to the attendance office 48 hours prior to the day of their absence, i.e. college visits, school related activities, religious observance, etc. College visits are limited to 11th and 12th grade students and may not exceed three (3) days per year.

• Students who participate in sports and extracurricular activities must attend school all day on any day they participate in an event.  Furthermore, participation in an athletic event is not a reason to be absent or tardy the following day.

• Reasons for excused absences and tardies are established by the Maryland State Department of Education, and not by MCPS or QOHS.