Absences

No, absences start over for semester classes at the beginning of the semester. Absences continue to accumulate for A/B classes throughout the year. 

• Absences for reasons listed below are considered excused and are to be coded as an excused absence from school:

  • Illness or injury of the student

  • Death in the immediate family

  • Quarantine

  • Medical/Dental appointment

  • Religious observances

  • Work or activity accepted by school authorities (must have prior administrative approval) 

  • State of Emergency

  • Lack of authorized (MCPS) transportation 

  • Suspension 

  • Court or administrative proceedings

• Absences for reasons listed below and for any other absences not listed above are unexcused and are to be coded as an unexcused absence from school:

  • Traffic

  • Bad weather

  • Missing the bus

  • Car trouble

  • Oversleeping

  • Lack of heat, water, or electricity

  • Shopping

  • Babysitting

  • Lack of clothing or shoes

  • Any other reasons deemed as unexcused by administration 

  • vacation

• The parent or legal guardian should provide a written note or email, and other requested documentation for an absence to be excused within 3 days of the student's return. If circumstances permit, the parent/guardian should email to provide the school administration with the reason for the nonattendance prior to the absence.

• Up to 10 absences per student per year may be excused with a note from parent/guardian for excused absences which include illness, quarantine, natural disaster, religious holiday, death in the immediate family, legal or medical appointments, and school-sponsored/related activities.

• After the 10 absences with a parent note, absences will require a doctor’s note for illness/appointments. Additional absences will require documentation to support the absence.

Written documentation, such as a signed and dated parent note with the name of the student and reason for the absence, a doctor’s note with the date the student was seen and the student’s name, or an email with the information attached is necessary upon the child’s return to school. Notes must be received within 3 days of the student's return.

Once information has been received by the school about a student’s absence, the school will update the attendance record to document the information.  Please contact the school if you do not see the absence updated in ParentVue after 48 hours. 

Family trips are not automatically considered excused absences.  A parent or guardian would need to submit a request to the student's administrator in writing at least 10 days in advance. The principal will review requests on a case-by-case basis and may grant approval if a student is not on track to be chronically absent and is performing satisfactorily academically. 

To keep parents informed of their child’s attendance at school, MCPS has recommended additional steps for schools to follow when absenteeism becomes a concern. The objective of these letters is a preventative step to avoid the consequences associated with chronic absenteeism. If you feel an absence has been recorded incorrectly, you should immediately contact the school and try to resolve the problem.