Research is clear that showing up for school has a significant impact on a student’s academic and social success, starting from pre-kindergarten and continuing through high school.
- Missing 10% (or about 18 days of a school year or 2 a month) can drastically affect a student’s academic success at each grade level.
- By the sixth grade, absenteeism is one of the three signs that can indicate if a student is at risk of dropping out of high school.
- In the ninth grade, regular and high attendance is a better predictor of graduation rates than eighth grade test scores.
Please help us support a culture of showing up to school every day!
With the collaborative effort of HCPSS parents/guardians, staff, and students, we are confident that all students can have successful attendance. This will improve student success in school and in their future.
Attendance
If your student is absent or will be absent, please send all attendance notes to HWCAbsence@hcpss.org and include:
- Student first and last name
- Parent/Guardian name
- Phone number Indicate in the subject line if you are requesting an absence, late arrival or early dismissal.
All notes must be emailed to HWCAbsence@hcpss.org. Notes should be received within 5 school days of the absence. We appreciate your help in this process. Please send your note from the e-mail address on your Family File.
For an early dismissal, indicate the reason, time and if the student will return to school that same day.
For an absence or late arrival, please put a reason for the time missed.
Please check in at the front office to pick up your child or if you are bringing them in late. If you need to send an email at the last minute, please call the front office to indicate that you have sent an early dismissal email, and the student will be called out of class.
Local Discretionary Days
The Howard County Public School System can grant students Local Discretionary Days (up to 3 days per student per school year) upon request and approval. For absences to be marked lawful/excused, the Local Discretionary Form should be submitted at least one week in advance to the front office.
Some examples of Local Discretionary use include:
- Visits to post-secondary institutions
- Participation in college orientation programs
- Scheduled interviews with prospective employers
- Special family events, including vacation/trips/travel
Parents/Guardians may access this HCPSS Local Discretionary Form as needed.
For more information, read HCPSS Policy 9010-Attendance.