ATTENDANCE

November 29, 2021

Dear Parents and Guardians,

I am writing to inform you of updates to DC Public Schools’ policy regarding unexcused absences related to COVID-19 and Virtual Learning Program for school year 2021-22. If your student has unexcused absences related to COVID-19 or Virtual Learning Program this school year, please review the information below to determine whether your student's absences are eligible to be excused. If you believe your student to be eligible, you must submit a note to your school’s Attendance Point of Contact for absences to be excused.

COVID-19 Close Contact: You may now submit a note for an excused absence if your student was absent from school because the student, or a member of the student’s household, was determined to be a close contact of a person who tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. Students whose absences were not previously eligible for excusal for this reason can now have those absences excused.

Virtual Learning Program Expansion: If your student is approved for virtual learning under new requirements set by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), their previous absences related to COVID-19 can also be excused.

Please complete and submit the excuse note provided below if your child has been absent from school this school year due to one of the following reasons:

1. Your child or a member of your household was determined to be a close contact of a person who tested positive for COVID-19; or

2. Your child has recently been approved for the Virtual Learning Program and has had COVID-related absences between the start of school and November 30, 2021.

Notes must be submitted via email, text, or hand-delivery to your child’s school on or before December 17, 2021, so that your child’s absence can be recorded as excused. For the rest of this school year, please submit excuse notes to your school within five days of your child’s return to school from an absence. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact Ms. Stephenson at Talisa.sutton-stephenson@k12.dc.gov or on 202 698-4733. Thank you for your timely attention to this matter.

Sincerely,
Mitchell V. Brunson
Principal

Any absence for an entire day without a valid excuse is marked as an unexcused absence. For learning at home, an absence is when a student does not log in to Canvas and/or call the school to indicate they completed their coursework through another mechanism, such as paper packets due to technology issues. The following absences may be classified as an excused absence:

• Illness of the student (a doctor’s note is required for a student absent five or more cumulative days in a term);
• Illness of a child, for parenting students (a doctor’s note for the student’s child is required when the student is absent five or more cumulative days in a term);
• Medical or dental appointments for the student;
• Death in the student’s immediate family;
• Exclusion by direction of the authorities of the District of Columbia, due to quarantine, contagious disease, infection, infestation, or other condition requiring separation from other students for medical or health reasons;
• Necessity for a student to attend a judicial or administrative proceeding, or court-ordered activity, as a party to the action or under subpoena;
• Observance of a religious holiday;
• Religious event celebration outside of a religious holiday (up to five cumulative days);
• Absences to allow students to visit their parent/guardian who is in the military, immediately before, during, or after deployment;
• College visits for students in grades 9-12 (up to three cumulative days);
• School visits for students in kindergarten through 8th grade (one day);
• Absences of expectant or parenting students for a time period specified by their doctor and any accommodations mandated by law;
• Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day
• An emergency or other circumstance approved by DCPS.