Why Attendance Matters In Denver Public Schools

  • Children in Colorado are encouraged to attend school from ages 4 to 18.

  • Children in Colorado must attend school from ages 6 to 16.

  • DPS students attend school Monday through Friday.

  • DPS school years begin in August and end in May or June.

  • When your child misses school, you must notify the school’s front office.

  • Districtwide school year calendars are available at dpsk12.org/page/calendars. Schools may

    also have their own calendars, which can be found on the school’s website or by asking the

    front office staff.

School start and end times vary by school. It is important for students to be on time and stay for all classes every day in order to improve academic performance and be ready for college and career opportunities.

A student who misses 10% (two days per month) or more of the time enrolled in school is considered chronically absent (this can include late arrivals and early pick-ups from school.)

Keep your child home or seek care if they:

Send your child to school even if they:*

Have a fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher.

Have a mild cold, which may include a runny nose and/or cough.

Have vomited two or more times in the last 24 hours.

Have eye drainage without fever, eye pain or eyelid redness.

Have a persistent cough, difficulty breathing or trouble catching their breath or if they develop a fever with the cough.

Have a mild stomach ache.

Have a rash with blisters that are draining, are painful, look like bruises and/or if a fever develops.

Have a mild rash with no other symptoms.

Have eye swelling, eye pain, trouble seeing or an eye injury.

Have head lice. Though they are annoying and should be treated, lice are not a reason to exclude a child from school.

Have a sore throat causing drooling, trouble swallowing or a fever and/or rash.

Haven’t had a fever overnight and they have not taken fever-reducing medicine during that time.

* If you don’t know whether to send your child to school or have specific concerns regarding your child's health, contact your child’s health-care provider, a local urgent care or the school nurse.

Reporting Absences

Save time by letting us know that your student is going to be absent or arriving late. Starting this year, DPS families will be able to use their computers or smartphones to know about absences or late arrivals so they can focus on taking care of their children. Guardians of DPS students must have an active DPS Parent Portal account to use this new feature. Visit myportal.dpsk12.org to sign up, or to check that your account is active and ready. Learn more about how to use this new feature.