West Potomac Attendance Policy:

West Potomac Academy’s attendance policy follows FCPS guidelines. However, we are considered a separate school, so absences must be reported directly to us. Please do not assume your base school will forward your attendance calls to Academy! Please follow the following guidelines:

If you are absent from an Academy class:

• Academy attendance is tracked separately from base school attendance. It is the parent’s or guardian’s responsibility to communicate absences to the Academy – base schools do not report absences to us. 
• Call the Attendance line 703-718-2750 or use the online attendance form. Please do not report absences by email. 
• A parent or guardian must report all absences; we will not accept reports directly from students, even if the student is over 18 years of age.
• The reason for an absence or tardy must be reported to the Academy office on the day of the absence, but no later than two school days of the absence. Reports after the 48 hour period may result in an unexcused absence. Absences are marked excused or unexcused based on FCPS attendance guidelines. 
• If a student has 5 or more absences, they may be put on an attendance contract. Students with absences of 10 or more days in the same class may be required to submit written documentation to excuse further absences. 
• Use a Pre-Arranged Absence Form to report absences in advance (doctor appointments, vacations, college visits; or base school activities such as AP/SOL testing, assemblies, meetings, or other bell schedule changes). This form requires signatures from the Academy teacher, base school attendance office, and parent/guardian. Submit this form at least two days in advance of the upcoming activity.

Early Dismissal/Check-Outs from Academy If students need to leave early from Academy, please have them bring a signed and dated note to the Academy office upon arrival, stating the reason and time for dismissal, so students can receive a check-out pass. If students leave their base school early and miss their Academy class, please inform the Academy office like any other absence; base schools do not report this information to Academies. 

Late Arrival to Academy Students arriving late to Fairfax Academy should report to the Academy office for a pass before reporting to class. All attendance notes must be written, dated, and signed by a parent or guardian with a daytime phone number included. 

Tardies due to Transportation Challenges Absence due to a missed shuttle is considered an unexcused absence. When this happens, the student should report immediately to their attendance office, sub-school office, or counselor.  A base school staff member must then call the Academy office to report the absence to verify the student is safe and accounted for. For students driving to the Academy, tardies related to car transportation are unexcused – including car trouble, traffic, and other issues.

If you have any questions about attendance, please contact:

• Jennifer Barbour

Administrative Assistant I

703-718-2750

• Jennifer Alpers

Administrator, High School Academy

Administrative Assistant: Jennifer Barbour | 703-718-2750