Regular attendance is critical to a student’s success in school. The school day begins at 8:40am and ends at 3:15pm. Any student arriving after 8:50am will be marked tardy and must report to the security guard before proceeding to class.
If your child must miss school, please email keyschoolattendance@gmail.com. You must provide an excuse note to document your child’s absence within five days of their return to school. Reasons for excused absences include:
- Student illness (a doctor’s note is required if a student is absent for more than five days);
- Death in the student’s immediate family;
- Necessity for a student to attend a judicial proceeding as a plaintiff, defendant, witness, or juror;
- Observance of a religious holiday;
- Temporary school closings due to weather, unsafe conditions or other emergencies;
- Medical reasons such as a doctor’s appointment (a doctor’s note is required);
- Failure of DC to provide transportation where legally responsible;
- Lawful suspension or exclusion from school by school authorities;
- Absences to allow students to visit their parent or legal guardian, who is in the military; immediately before, during or after deployment;
Students who are absent may be subject to the following responses, according to DCPS policy:
- Individual/group counseling to address attendance needs.
- Participation in the creation of, and adherence to, an attendance student support plan.
- Parents of students with five (5) unexcused absences will be requested to participate in a truancy conference and referred to the Student Support Team.
- Students with 7 unexcused absences will receive a Metropolitan Police Department/DCPS notification letter.
- Parents of students with ten (10) total absences — excused or unexcused will be requested to participate in an Attendance Conference (SST) and will be referred to the Office of State Superintendent of Education.
- Students ages 5-13 with ten (10) unexcused absences will be referred to the Child and Family Services Agency (CFSA) for suspected educational neglect.
- Students ages 5-13 with fifteen (15) unexcused absences will be referred to Office of Attorney General.
- Course grades or year-end promotion may be affected by unexcused absences.
For more information, visit the DCPS website page on student attendance.