Unexcused absences for family travel

[Anonymous]

Can anyone share your knowledge on or what your experience has been with unexcused absences of one week+? We're in a situation where we need to take our child out of school for over a week to travel overseas to see ailing family, but our charter isn't willing to approve it as excused absence. We don't have the option of not taking our child, but we're wondering what consequences there might be.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can anyone share your knowledge on or what your experience has been with unexcused absences of one week+? We're in a situation where we need to take our child out of school for over a week to travel overseas to see ailing family, but our charter isn't willing to approve it as excused absence. We don't have the option of not taking our child, but we're wondering what consequences there might be.

How old is your child? If they are in PK3 or PK4, technically the school could unenroll them, as they are not considered mandatory grades - although I have not heard of that happening for that length of time. Otherwise, the school will mark it as unexcused and you may get a call or letter from DCPS, or worst case scenario CFSA. But from my experience, but the CFSA social workers are already stretched thin so they want to save their resources for families/kids whose absences are due to more significant neglect.

[Anonymous]

I work at a school. As long as you are under 10 UA for the year, it's really not a big deal. You may get the letter from the school after 5, but it's just a formality.

CFSA is so overstretched I've heard they don't even do real investigations until kids miss like 50% of the year.

[Anonymous]

Call in sick for three of those days.

[Anonymous]

We pulled our kid for a week to go to Europe. Unexcused at a charter. No big deal. DS then missed a few more days unexcused for travel. We hit 10 and just got an email from the school saying we missed this much unexcused days. That’s it. Maybe there might be a meeting if we miss more. Not sure.

But our kid is in elementary, high performing and we asked teachers to give us the work he would have done the week he missed school so he could do it.

It’s not a big deal, and I agree that the school and CPS is more concerned about neglect, abuse, etc..

Travel is a top priority for us and missing some days or week in elementary is not a big deal if your kid is doing fine. I guess I would be more hesitant if my kid was struggling. Once you hit middle and high school, it’s going to be more difficult for your kid to miss school.

[Anonymous]

Send the school an email clearly stating your child will be out on xyz dates and why. Then do not otherwise worry about the them excused/unexcused piece of it.

[Anonymous]

Nothing will happen. I have students take a week off school pretty regularly unexcused to travel. Nothing happens.

[Anonymous]

My kid had more than 10 unexcused absences in HS and no one said anything. They sent a few emails and texts saying it is bad to miss school but that’s about it

[Anonymous]

We took our Deal kid out of school in September to go on a family trip to France, six unexcused absences. The school sends us messages all the time about the absences but other than that hasn't done anything.

If you're that worried about it, just say your kid is sick for some of the days (but not all, I think after five sick days you need a doctor's note).

[Anonymous]

The best way to be able to miss days is to
1. Have your child be the best performer in his class. So no one worries about the impact on the child for missing days.
2. Get along and have a great relationship with the school (teachers, principal, etc).
3. Claim days as religious holidays. Apparently that's excused.
4. Claim there was a death in the family. That's excused.

"For a total of up to four (4) cumulative days in each term, a parent’s/guardian’s written excuse is sufficient for explaining the absence. The absence will be excused if it falls under one of the excused absence reasons noted above;
For five (5) or more cumulative days per term, further documentation is required to excuse the absence. Written explanation of the student’s absence must be submitted by a doctor or staff of a relevant agency, on official office/agency letterhead and signed by a relevant official."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The best way to be able to miss days is to
1. Have your child be the best performer in his class. So no one worries about the impact on the child for missing days.
2. Get along and have a great relationship with the school (teachers, principal, etc).
3. Claim days as religious holidays. Apparently that's excused.
4. Claim there was a death in the family. That's excused.

"For a total of up to four (4) cumulative days in each term, a parent’s/guardian’s written excuse is sufficient for explaining the absence. The absence will be excused if it falls under one of the excused absence reasons noted above;
For five (5) or more cumulative days per term, further documentation is required to excuse the absence. Written explanation of the student’s absence must be submitted by a doctor or staff of a relevant agency, on official office/agency letterhead and signed by a relevant official."

#1 and 2 apply to us. I don’t know if he is the top performer but high performing.

I’m not going to lie about #3 and #4.

We have pulled out our child to travel and it’s not a big deal.

[Anonymous]

What is an "unexecused" absence?
Is it just they are sick but you don't call in? Just call in sick.

[Anonymous]

Reminder - this was all put in place due to Relisha Rudd going missing and no one did anything.

DCPS has taken action in the past https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/how-a-family-adoption-trip-led-to-a-truancy-referral-child-neglect-charge/2015/02/09/156af9ae-b069-11e4-886b-c22184f27c35_story.html

If your charter wants to, they can say you are not compliant with enrollment requirements and not allow you to re-enroll next year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Reminder - this was all put in place due to Relisha Rudd going missing and no one did anything.

DCPS has taken action in the past https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/how-a-family-adoption-trip-led-to-a-truancy-referral-child-neglect-charge/2015/02/09/156af9ae-b069-11e4-886b-c22184f27c35_story.html

If your charter wants to, they can say you are not compliant with enrollment requirements and not allow you to re-enroll next year.

Sure but reality is a different thing. The plan was out into place due to her being taken and other potentially concerning things like abuse, neglect, etc….

School admin have plenty on their plate and no one is pursuing any dis-enrollment or not allowing your kid to attend. Ask me how I know.

[Anonymous]

https://dcps.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dcps/publication/attachments/Attendance%20Policy%20SY%2022-23.pdf

The DCPS policy. You can also look at your school's handbook for guidance.