Attendance Overview

Students should be in school every day; a missed school day is a lost opportunity for students to learn. The primary rationale for student attendance is the relationship between student attendance and student achievement. The general policy of the school district on Student Attendance is Policy 503.

A child under the age of 17 is considered “habitually truant” if they are absent from school without a lawful excuse for one or more class periods on seven (7) school days per school year. Parental notification is required by Minnesota statute and schools may report to Child in Need of Protection services through the county.

Parents/guardians must contact the school to report absences. An attendance voicemail telephone line (689-6090) and Skyward Family Access are available to report attendance. These options are available 24 hours a day. Notes explaining an absence may also be sent with students when they return to school. Absences that are not cleared within two school days are recorded as unexcused. A communication will be sent home when a student has accumulated multiple unexcused absences. A conference with a counselor or administrator and the student and parent/guardian will be scheduled as necessary to discuss attendance issues. Parents/guardians may call the student office at 763-689-6005 between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. to check their child’s attendance. An automated email will be sent each day for students that miss one or more classes in a day. We hope this added communication between school and home will help to keep parents/guardians better informed about attendance.

In accordance with the Minnesota Compulsory Instruction Law, Minnesota Statute 120A.22, the students of the school district are required to attend all assigned classes and/or study halls every day school is in session, unless the student has completed the studies ordinarily required to graduate from high school, has withdrawn, or has a valid excuse for absence.

The administration must follow the regulations of the Minnesota Compulsory Instruction Law, Minnesota Statute 120A.22. Attendance is significantly related to school achievement. It is the responsibility of the student and parent to make good attendance a habit. The purpose of this policy is to encourage regular school attendance. It is intended to be positive and not punitive.
Following all absences from school, students must submit a note to the office (if the parent didn’t contact the attendance secretary by phone). If a student arrives to class less than ten minutes late, the teacher will mark the student tardy. If a student arrives more than 10 minutes late to school or a class, he/she will be marked absent.

Student’s Responsibility

It is the student’s obligation to be in school. It is the student’s responsibility to attend all assigned classes and study halls every day that school is in session and to be aware of and follow the correct procedures when absent from an assigned class. Finally, it is the student’s responsibility to request any missed assignments due to an absence.

Students must bring a note or request a parent/guardian to call to excuse all absences within a maximum of 10 days after the absence. Absences that are not cleared within ten school days are recorded as an unexcused absence.

Follow the sign in/out procedure if leaving school during the day, arriving late, and returning. Students who fail to follow this procedure will be marked unexcused.

Parent/Guardian Responsibility

It is the responsibility of the student’s parent or guardian to ensure the student is attending school, to inform the school in the event of a student absence, and to work cooperatively with the school and the student to solve any attendance problems that may arise. Parents should call to explain every absence on the day of the absence or send a note when the student returns to school. Absences that are not cleared within ten school days are recorded as unexcused. Types of Absences

School excused: Absences for school sponsored activities and events.

Excused: To be considered an excused absence, the student’s parent or legal guardian may be asked to verify, in writing, the reason for the student’s absence from school, and may request documentation in the event of excessive excused absences, a note from a physician or a licensed mental health professional stating that the student cannot attend school is a valid excuse.

Unexcused Absences: All absences not verified by a parent and all absences that do not meet excused criteria as set by policy 503. The following are examples of unexcused absences: car trouble, over-sleeping, shopping, needed at home, leaving school without approval, babysitting, skipping, missing the bus, work, no call or note from parent/guardian verifying the absence, and personal (no reason given). Any other absence not included under the attendance policy will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. Students that fail to bring a note or have a parent/guardian call within ten school days of the absence will be marked unexcused for the day.

Tardy: A student is tardy to class if he/she is not in the room (or assigned area) when the bell rings. It will stay a tardy if the student arrives within 10 minutes of the start of class, after 10 minutes it will be marked as an unexcused absence for the class period.

Attendance Overview

Student’s Responsibility

Parent/Guardian Responsibility

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