Anonymous wrote:I'd be interested in seeing a count from DCPS schools 3/4 of the way into the school year - to see how many are still actually going. In some of these schools, the classrooms are half empty a few months into the school year.

What do you mean? What populations of kids is this happening to? Is this HS kids who are truant, or is this parents of younger kids not sending kids to school?

I'd be interested in seeing a count from DCPS schools 3/4 of the way into the school year - to see how many are still actually going. In some of these schools, the classrooms are half empty a few months into the school year.

To add, I think all of this has implications for next school year. It used to be that schools could lose teachers and resources over count day if predicted numbers weren't met. My understanding is that's no longer the case. But the numbers will affect projections for the subsequent FY and hence the budget allotted to that school.

Anonymous wrote:What day was/is count day for DCPS this year? has it passed?

All DCPS and PCS schools send OSSE their 2015-16 enrollment numbers on Oct. 5. What the schools call 'count day' is the day the auditors arrive to validate what was submitted. It's different for each school (only so many audit teams) and will happen over the next 2 weeks over so. You will need to call your school office to find out its date.

What day was/is count day for DCPS this year? has it passed?

See this handbook from OSSE re the audit requirements (what happens on your child's school count day). Page 25 shows what happens for children who are absent. http://osse.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/osse/publication/attachments/SY%202015-16%20Enrollment%20Audit%20Handbook%208%2011%2015.pdf

Anonymous wrote:We have been asked to make sure that our kid is at school on count day, which we will unless he is ill. But, I was wondering how the city deals with kids that were absent due to illness; does the school just not get money for that kid?

There is a laborious process the school would go to in order to 'prove' that your child has actually been attending school, and that t he count day absence was, just an absence. Depending on the students age it can be examples of classroom work or tests and they have to be within a certain number of days from the count day (e.g. can't be from first day of school).

We have been asked to make sure that our kid is at school on count day, which we will unless he is ill. But, I was wondering how the city deals with kids that were absent due to illness; does the school just not get money for that kid?