2024-2025 Attendance Information and Resources

Research is clear that showing up for school has a significant impact on a student’s academic and social success, starting from pre-kindergarten and continuing through high school.

• Missing 10% (or about 18 days of a school year or 2 a month) can drastically affect a student’s academic success at each grade level.
• By the sixth grade, absenteeism is one of the three signs that can indicate if a student is at risk of dropping out of high school.
• In the ninth grade, regular and high attendance is a better predictor of graduation rates than eighth grade test scores.

Please help us support a culture of showing up to school every day!

With the collaborative effort of HCPSS parents/guardians, staff, and students, we are confident that all students can have successful attendance. This will improve student success in school and in their future.

Attendance

If your student is absent or will be absent, please contact us at HoHSAbsence@hcpss.org.

• All absence, tardy and early dismissal notes can be submitted through the Howard High School absence email. Please include the following:
  • Student First and Last name
  • Grade
  • Reason for the absence
• All absence and/or tardy notes must be submitted within five days of the absence or tardy.
• If the note is received after the five-day grace period, the absence will remain unexcused.
• If a note is not received, the absence will be documented as Truant (unexcused).

*Please know that attendance adjustments and/or changes may take up to 48 hours.

Late Arrival Procedures

Students who arrive late to school will enter through the main entrance. The student will proceed to the attendance window and check-in.

• All students will be marked unexcused until a tardy note is received.
• If it is an excusable tardy, parents should email a note to HoHSAbsence@hcpss.org. Please include the following:
  • Student First and Last name
  • Grade
  • Reason for the late arrival

Howard High School students who arrive after 7:50 am may sign in electronically using the new attendance check-in system called StudenVue. Students will need to download the StudentVUE app on their personal device. The app will have a student identification card and barcode used to scan in and receive a late pass to class.

The StudentVUE app is available in both the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store and is free to download. Please encourage your student to download the app and set it up. If storage space is an issue on the student’s device, they can take a screenshot of their barcode, save it as a favorite, and delete the app.

Students who do not want to download the app or are unable to download it may check-in at the attendance window with the attendance secretary to receive their late pass.

Early Dismissal Procedures

Parents/Guardians may request early dismissals by either sending in a written note or electronically by emailing HoHSAbsence@hcpss.org. Please include the following:

• Student First and Last name
• Grade
• Reason for the early dismissal
• Time of the dismissal

Please have your student bring their written note to the attendance window in the morning. They will be given a pass to leave class at the requested time.

• Students MUST sign out at the attendance window before leaving the building for their dismissal.
• The parent/guardian does not need to come into the building when a request is submitted in advance.
• Please allow ample time for your electronic dismissal request to be processed.
• Parents/Guardians are welcome to sign their student out at the attendance window if it is a last-minute dismissal.
• Please ask your student to check-in at the attendance window if they return from their dismissal.

If you plan to pick up your student without prior notification to the attendance office, you will need to enter the building and proceed to the attendance window to sign your student out. Per HCPSS procedure all Parents, Guardians, and Emergency contacts must have their ID ready for identity verification.

Local Discretionary Days

The Howard County Public School System can grant students Local Discretionary Days (up to 3 days per student per school year) upon request and approval. For absences to be marked lawful/excused, the Local Discretionary Form should be submitted at least one week in advance to the attendance secretary.

Some examples of Local Discretionary use include:

• Visits to post-secondary institutions
• Participation in college orientation programs
• Scheduled interviews with prospective employers
• Special family events, including vacation/trips/travel

Parents/Guardians may access this HCPSS Local Discretionary Form as needed.