School Attendance

School attendance has a huge impact on a student’s academic success starting in prekindergarten and continuing through 12th grade. Even as children grow older and more independent, families play a key role in making sure students get to school safely every day. Regular and consistent attendance is necessary for student achievement, graduation, and career and college readiness.

St. Mary's County Public Schools recognizes that student success is dependent upon continuous and consistent classroom instructional experiences, which provide opportunities to master academic skills, build positive peer relationships, and develop responsibility. While some absences are unavoidable, students who miss too much school can quickly fall behind academically. A student is considered chronically absent when they miss 10 percent or more of the school year for any reason, including excused and unexcused absences. Preventing chronic absenteeism is a shared responsibility among schools, students, and families and is essential to ensuring every student has the opportunity to succeed.

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Additional Information

St. Mary’s County Public Schools’ student attendance policy is based on the idea that success is based on a continuous and consistent classroom instructional experience. Students need opportunities to master essential academic knowledge and skills, develop an appropriate sense of self-worth, establish positive peer relationships, and develop a sense of responsibility.

We realize some absences are unavoidable, but we also know when students miss too much school, regardless of the reason, it can cause them to fall behind academically. Documentation of an absence must be sent to school within three (3) days of an absence, either with a written note, phone call, email, or through the school website portal. Parent(s)/legal guardian(s) may monitor school attendance through the Home Access Center (HAC).

If you are having problems with your username, password, or login, please contact your child's school.

Attendance Brochure

Attendance Brochure (Espanol)

Tips for Improving Attendance

Good attendance (present and punctual) benefits your child's education. Students who miss a day of school or are late to school not only miss instruction, but must make up work and keep up with new material at the same time.

Make education a family priority and emphasize the important role education plays throughout life. Establish a positive connection with your child’s school and communicate any school-related concerns.
Have your child ride the school bus to school each day. Riding the bus is a consistent way to ensure your child arrives at school in a timely manner. Arriving late can be disruptive for your child, the teacher, and other children in the class.
Try to schedule doctor and dentist appointments on early dismissal days, school holidays, or at the beginning or end of the school day.
Monitor your child's attendance through HOME ACCESS CENTER on the St. Mary’s County Public Schools’ website (www.smcps.org) to keep track of absences. If an absence is marked incorrectly, please contact the school attendance secretary. Documentation of an absence must be submitted to the school within 3 school days of the absence for it to be considered excused. Documentation may be a written note, an email, or a phone call, and must include the name of the student, dates of absence, reason for absence, and parents’/legal guardians’ signature (written note).
Take vacations when school is not in session. Families are encouraged to take vacations during the summer vacation or other school breaks throughout the year. There are 180 school days out of the 365 days in a year. Vacations are not considered excused absences.
Keep in mind that habits are formed early in the life of a child. Saying no in the beginning when children want to stay home “just this one time” will encourage the habit of going to school. If your child seems reluctant to come to school and asks to stay home often, please contact your school counselor for help in problem-solving. It is easier to address attendance issues early on.

PRESENT AND PUNCTUAL …on the road to high school graduation…

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