An early dismissal note is a short, signed message to the school office saying your child is leaving before the end of the day: when, why, and who's collecting them. Most schools want it in the morning, at the office rather than with the teacher, and they'll ask whoever comes for photo ID. Copy one of the notes below, or fill in our early dismissal note generator and print it.
A note you can copy
[Date]
To the office at [school],
Please dismiss my child, [full name], [grade and teacher], at [time] today for [reason].
[Name of the person picking up], my child's [relationship], will collect them from the office and will bring photo ID.
[They will / will not] return to school today.
If you need to reach me: [your phone number].
[Signature]
[Your name], parent or guardian
A shorter one, for a planned appointment
[Date]. Please release [child's full name], [grade, teacher], at [time] for a dentist appointment. I'll pick them up myself from the office. [Phone]. [Signature], [your name].
If someone else is collecting
Add their full name, their relationship to your child, and that they'll bring ID. If they've never picked up before, check they're already on the school's list of people allowed to take your child. Many schools won't release a child to anyone who isn't, note or no note. Our guide to who can pick up your child from school explains how the list usually works, and the pickup authorization letter is the note for a one-off.
What schools ask for
Most handbooks ask for the same handful of things. Kernodle Middle School in Guilford County, North Carolina lists them outright: "Reason for leaving early," "Time of departure," "Name of person who will pick up student," and "Signature of parent/guardian" (early dismissal). Catonsville Elementary in Baltimore County adds the homeroom teacher's name (contact page). Gaithersburg Middle in Montgomery County, Maryland wants a parent phone number (attendance).
Put all of them in and you won't be caught out:
| Include | Why the office wants it |
|---|---|
| Your child's full name, grade and teacher | So the right child is called out of the right class |
| The date and the time they're leaving | So they're ready, and so the office knows when to expect you |
| The reason | Most schools record it; some excuse the time only for certain reasons |
| Who is picking up, and their relationship | So the office can check them against the list |
| Whether they'll be back today | So the attendance is right |
| Your phone number | So they can call you if anything doesn't match |
| Your signature | It's the thing that makes it yours |
When and where to send it
In the morning, to the office. Kernodle wants the note at the main office by 8:55 a.m. Gaithersburg Middle wants it with the attendance secretary before first period. Naples Park Elementary in Collier County, Florida says: "Do not email the teacher, as absences occur and requests may not be received" (students and families).
On paper, by email, or neither: it depends on the school. This is where schools disagree most. Catonsville Elementary says, "We do not accept phone calls for dismissal changes," and an email has to come from the address the school has on file. Findley Oaks Elementary in Fulton County, Georgia takes changes only by email, to a dedicated dismissal address, and not by phone or to teachers (change of dismissal). David T. Howard Middle in Atlanta wants it hand-written (early dismissal). Naples Park will take a phone change only if you email a photo of your driver's licence to prove it's you. Check your handbook once and save the answer.
Before the cut-off. Most schools stop early dismissals some time before the bell, so the end of the day isn't spent calling children out of class. The times we found: 2:00 p.m. for changes at Naples Park, 1:45 p.m. for changes at Findley Oaks, 2:30 p.m. at Gaithersburg Middle, 2:40 p.m. at Three Oaks Elementary in Lee County, Florida, 3:00 p.m. at Catonsville, and 3:30 p.m. at David T. Howard. If your appointment is late in the afternoon, ask whether it's simpler to collect at the bell.
At the office
Bring photo ID, whoever you are. "When signing your child out early, you must have your ID present," says Naples Park. Gaithersburg Middle asks for a current photo ID from "the responsible adult on the Student Emergency Information Form." Expect to sign a book or a screen. Some schools only call your child down once you're there; Naples Park says students "will not be called out of class until the parent arrives on campus."
Why schools are strict about it
A note can be forged. In 2012 a school in Middleboro, Massachusetts sent a six-year-old home on a bus because of a note he'd written himself, and changed its procedures afterwards (CBS Boston). A school that won't take a phone call, or wants ID from someone it knows by sight, is protecting your child the same way it protects everyone else's.
The other half: who's going
The note gets your child out of class. Someone still has to be at the office at 1:30 on a Tuesday, and that's usually where an early dismissal goes wrong: you assumed the other parent was going, the other parent assumed you were.
In Kid Pickup, the appointment goes on the family calendar as a pickup at 1:30, and one person taps I'll do it. If nobody has, the app sends parents and guardians a nudge the day before. The person going sees it on their phone, taps I'm here at the school, and the family knows it's done. The note is still yours to write: the early dismissal note generator fills it in and prints it.