Attendance Policy | E.L. Haynes Public Charter School

Updated July 2025

Note: this policy applies to all three campuses.

Introduction

Attendance is critical to every student’s success at E.L. Haynes. Therefore, we expect students to attend school every day, arrive on time, and leave on time. The school will recognize excellent attendance.

If a student is absent with a valid reason, parents or the student must turn in written documentation within 5 days of the student’s return. This will show up as an “excused absence” in our system and will allow students to make up work in their classes. If a student has over 10 days of unexcused absences, the family will be referred to Child and Family Services Administration (CFSA) for truancy.

Students with more than 5 total unexcused absences are required to have a family team meeting led by an attendance intervention specialist, administrator, grade level lead, or Wellness Team member. Students and families may be required to participate in other interventions such as attendance plans, home visits, and frequent check-ins to support their student’s attendance.

In alignment with the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), and the District of Columbia Public Charter School Board (DCPCSB) maintains a comprehensive attendance policy to ensure students receive the full benefits of in-school instruction. This policy includes specific seat time requirements to determine whether a student is considered present or absent for the school day.

School Attendance Expectations

Regular attendance is essential for academic success and student growth. E.L. Haynes requires that all students attend school daily and arrive on time. Frequent absences, tardiness, and early dismissals negatively impact instructional time and students’ learning opportunities.

Elementary School Attendance – 60/40 Seat Time Policy

Effective the 2025-26 school year, elementary students must attend at least 60% of the school day to be marked present. A student will be marked legally absent if any of the following conditions are met:

a student arrives after 11:35 a.m.
a student leaves before 12:35 p.m.
The student both arrives late and leaves early, and is present for less than 60% of the school day

Secondary School Attendance – 60/40 Seat Time Policy

Secondary school students (middle and high school) are subject to the same 60/40 attendance rule. To be considered present for the day, students must attend at least 60% of their scheduled class periods. Failure to meet this threshold below, will result in a full-day absence.

The student arrives after 11:10 a.m. (middle school)
The student arrives after 11:55 a.m. (high school)
The student leaves before 12:20 p.m. (middle school)
The student leaves before 1:05 p.m. (high school)
The student both arrives late and leaves early, and is present for less than 60% of the school day.

Students will be permitted to attend their regularly scheduled course upon arrival; however, they will be marked absent for the day if they are not present at least 60% of the school day.

Absences

Attendance will be recorded in each classroom shortly after the beginning of the school day. An absence is defined as attending less than 60% of a school day. If you know your student will be absent, please send an email or send in a note when your child returns to school.

In order to excuse an absence, the school must receive a note or email from the family or a doctor. In the case of an absence longer than three days, a doctor’s note is required. Notes and emails must be received within 5 school days of the absence. You may call the school’s front office to inform us that your child will be absent; however, this call WILL NOT excuse the absence and is for our information only.

The note/email must include the date of absence, parent name, student name, and the valid reason for absence and be turned into the main office at the student’s campus. Forms are available at the front desk. If no documentation is submitted to the Attendance Coordinator, the absence will be considered unexcused. Reporting the absence does not automatically excuse the absence. Excused absences are granted in accordance with the following school policy. Valid reasons for absence from school include:

Illness of the student or doctor’s appointment;
Exclusion due to quarantine, contagious disease, infection, infestation, or other condition requiring separation from other students for medical or health reasons;
Illness or other immediate family emergency which requires the presence of the student outside the school;
Death in the student’s immediate family;
Necessity for a student to attend any judicial proceeding as a party or witness;
Observance of religious holy days;
Suspension or expulsion from school by an administrator pursuant to E.L. Haynes discipline policy;
Temporary closing of the school facility or suspension of classes due to severe weather, official activities, holidays, malfunctioning equipment, unsafe or unsanitary conditions, or other conditions requiring the closing of the school facility or suspension of classes; and

Extensive absences significantly diminish the ability of the student to learn. Families are expected to schedule recreational activities, school visits and vacations (including extended trips abroad) only during designated school breaks. If you need to schedule an appointment for your child, please try to do so on weekends, or before/after school.

Persistent absenteeism from school will result in the following actions being taken:

Each unexcused absence	After each unexcused absence the parent/guardian of the student will receive an automatic call, text, or email to notify them of the unexcused absence. (Note: Please keep an up-to-date telephone number with your child’s campus front desk.)
3 unexcused absences	Once a student accrues 3 unexcused absences, the school will send a formal letter to the student’s family regarding their student’s unexcused absences explaining the school’s attendance expectations. After 3 absences due to illness, the family must provide a doctor’s note to excuse the absence.
5 unexcused absences (cumulative)	Once a student has accrued 5 unexcused absences, the student and their family are required to meet with the Attendance Support Team which includes the attendance intervention specialist, grade-level lead, teacher, school administrator, or Wellness Team member to create an attendance intervention plan. Other interventions may include: – A letter mailed to the student’s family regarding absences; or, – Referral to programs for truancy prevention support.
8 unexcused absences (cumulative)	Once a student has accrued 8 unexcused absences, a school administrator will send a letter to the student’s family warning that their student is close to being considered “chronically truant”, and the student and family may be required to meet with a school administrator (i.e. attendance coordinator, school leader, Wellness Team member) to discuss/revise the student’s Attendance Intervention Plan. E.L. Haynes staff may conduct a home visit to ensure the safety of the student.
10 unexcused absences (cumulative)	E.L. Haynes will immediately refer all students who are ages 5-13 who have accrued 10 or more unexcused absences to the Child and Family Services Agency (CFSA), as required by D.C. law (D.C. Mun. Regs. tit 5, § A2103.5(a) (2014)). Additionally, the school will send a letter home notifying the family of their student’s truancy status.
15 unexcused absences (cumulative)	E.L. Haynes will immediately refer all students who are ages 14-17 who have accrued 15 or more unexcused absences to the Court Social Services Division of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia and to the Office of Attorney General Juvenile Section, as required by D.C. law (D.C. Mun. Regs. tit 5, § A2103.5(b) (2014). Additionally, the school will send a letter home notifying the family of their student’s truancy status.
20 or more consecutive unexcused absences and withdrawal	If a student is absent 20 or more consecutive full school days without a valid reason or excuse, E.L. Haynes has the discretion to officially withdraw the student from the school. (D.C. Code § 38-203 (f-2) (2017)). E.L. Haynes will notify the family that the student has been withdrawn. Please note, if a withdrawn student wants to return to E.L. Haynes for the next school year, s/he will need to reapply through the annual lottery process through My School DC.

Students with disabilities will not be treated adversely for absences that are directly caused by their disabilities. As a result, it is important for staff and parents to work together to support student attendance.

Attendance Intervention and Support

Before an intervention meeting, parent(s)/guardian(s) will be notified by their preferred contact method, including calls, text messaging, and/or email. All parents/guardians will receive a notification that reminds them of their scheduled meeting.

Should a parent not respond after multiple attempts to schedule a meeting, teachers or administrators will notify the attendance and engagement coordinator, who will offer outreach support.

We will use the following strategies and interventions to support engaging identified students:

Advisors, homeroom teachers, and school administrators will be our first line of support. Advisors or homeroom teachers will reach out to students and families on the first day of absence or lack of work completion.
The attendance coordinator will streamline communication with school staff and community partners to identify and support students with attendance and engagement concerns.
Attendance and engagement groups and individualized check-ins will be facilitated by the attendance coordinator and outside community agencies.
Chronically disengaged students will be offered direct academic support and counseling following a facilitated parent-teacher conference with the students’ academic team and parents.
Chronically truant students will continue to be monitored closely by the attendance coordinator and grade-level teams throughout the year.
Progress monitoring will take place at least weekly in the attendance and engagement meetings and grade level team meetings at each campus.
Teachers, case managers, related service providers, campus leaders, the attendance coordinator, and community partners will streamline communication around student progress.
The attendance coordinator will initiate foundational support to all families in the summer with a strong focus on outreach to families with attendance and engagement concerns to promote strong attendance in the upcoming school year.
The attendance coordinator will email and call home to message attendance expectations for the upcoming school year as a part of our Tier I initiative.
E.L. Haynes and community partners will recognize and offer incentives and certificates to promote strong attendance for all students.
Parents will be notified about student progress via direct calls and texts in our parent communication platform (Parent Square). We will also use Infinite Campus messenger services and community-wide emails from our CAO, as needed.

Attendance, Grades, and Promotion

Student grading and promotion can be impacted by an accrual of unexcused absences as follows:
Secondary students with ten (10) unexcused absences in any class shall receive an initial written notice that they are at risk of receiving a grade of “FA” (failure due to absences) in that subject upon accumulating more than thirty (30) unexcused absences unless an exception applies (D.C. Mun. Regs. tit 5, § A2103.5(b) (2014)).

Secondary students with fifteen (15) unexcused absences in any class shall receive an additional written warning that they are at risk of receiving a grade of “FA” (failure due to absences) in that subject upon accumulating more than thirty (30) unexcused absences.

Secondary students accumulating more than thirty (30) unexcused absences in a course within a full school year shall receive a failing final grade in that course with a resulting loss of course credit (D.C. Code § 38-203 (f-2) (2017)).

Any student in any grade accumulating more than thirty (30) unexcused absences within a school year shall only be promoted to the next grade if a written justification is submitted by the Principal to the Chief Academic Officer or designee. The Chief Academic Officer or designee will meet with the school’s MTSS team and will make a final determination.

In instances where students may experience extenuating circumstances requiring extended absence from school, parents must provide supporting documentation and schedule a meeting with the grade-level administrator to establish a work plan for their student to make up the work that will be missed during their absence. Students should continue their studies according to their work plan so that they do not fall behind. Students who are not present in school for 20 consecutive days may be withdrawn from the school.