Attendance and Truancy  

Introduction

Regular school attendance is vital to academic success. When students are absent, they miss valuable information and lessons necessary to meet world class standards. Families, schools, and communities must work as a team to support school attendance. Our system-wide goal is to improve local school attendance at every grade level.

Is school attendance required?

Yes, school attendance is required for all students who reach five years of age on or before December 31st of the current school year. Students must attend school until their 18th birthday. Students who reside in DC must be enrolled in a public, independent, private, parochial, or home school each year during the period that schools are in session.

When is school attendance not required?

When students have an excused absence.

What types of absences may be excused?

When a student returns to school after an absence, a note should be sent with him/her to the teacher. This note should include the date(s) of the absence and the reason. 

Excused absences include:

• Illness of the student (a doctor’s certificate is required for an absence of more than five days)
• Medical reasons such as a doctor’s appointment (a doctor’s certificate should be provided for medical appointments scheduled during the school day)
• Observance of a religious holiday
• Death in the student’s immediate family

What types of absences may not be excused?

Absences are not excused when students are absent from school with or without parental approval for reasons such as:

• Babysitting
• Shopping
• Doing errands
• Oversleeping
• Cutting classes
• Job hunting

What is truancy?

Truancy is the willful absence from school by a minor (under 18 years of age) with or without approval, parental knowledge, or consent.

Please note that all DC Public Schools, except the School Without Walls, are closed campuses. This means that students must remain on campus during school lunch periods.

What happens to a truant?

All uniformed law enforcement officers in the District are responsible for truancy enforcement. A typical case of truancy goes like this:

• If a truant is picked up by the police, he or she will be transported in a police vehicle to the Student Attendance Intervention Center.
• Parents are notified of the student’s truancy status.
• Students and parents receive intake consultation and resource support.
• Parents and the school are provided with consultation and follow-up support.
• Parents and students must attend a truancy conference at a local school.

Who can report a suspected truancy?

Anyone can report a suspected truancy:

• Relatives
• Neighbors
• Friends
• Parents
• Students
• Concerned citizens
• Community and business representatives

Why is it important to report truancy?

Truancy reporting is important because keeping students in school helps to keep them safe, and improves the quality of their education. These things, in turn, benefit the entire community.

What are the consequences of poor school attendance?

Poor school attendance may result in:

• Poor work habits
• Lower grades/loss of credit
• Frustration in learning
• Dropping out of school
• Lower self-esteem
• Lack of self-discipline
• Unsupervised activities
• Delinquency
• Reduced earning potential
• Future unemployment
• Potential criminal activity

What can parents do?

Parents can help improve student attendance in the following ways:

• Let your child know that you think school is important.
• Set a regular bedtime schedule. Age should not be a factor.
• Provide your child with plenty of time to get ready for school.
• Plan an alternate way for your child to get to school on time, just in case the usual method isn't available one day.
• Schedule medical, dental, and other appointments before and after school hours when possible.

Additional resources

For additional assistance:

• Chapter 21, DC Municipal Regulations
• School Attendance Plan
• Truancy Protocols
• Contact Amoretta Morris, Director of Attendance, at (202) 442-5099