Student attendance
Every day makes a difference

If your child will be absent, please notify your school’s attendance office before the start of the school day. You can do this by creating an Absence Request in the Infinite Campus Parent Portal or by calling the school attendance office. If we do not hear from you, the school will reach out to confirm your student’s safety and ensure you are aware of their absence.

Important note: In the Attendance section of the Infinite Campus Parent Portal, you will see your child's total number of excused and unexcused absences. Following state requirements, ‘excused’ indicates absences that are exempt from state reporting requirements, and ‘unexcused’ indicates absences that the state requires us to categorize as non-exempt.

The Iowa Department of Education has guidance that districts must follow to address absenteeism. In compliance with State Law, schools will send notifications to guardians when a student has been absent a certain number of days each grading period:

Process for addressing absenteeism:

• Schools will send notifications to guardians when a student has reached the 5%, 10%, and 15% absenteeism threshold for the grading period (See chart above).
  • Notifications are sent when a student has accumulated the number of absences that will result in the percentage of absenteeism at the end of the grading period. For example, if an elementary student has missed 6 days of school in a term, the student will be at 10% absenteeism at the end of the grading period, so the 10% notification is sent after the 6th day is missed.
• State law requires a certified letter be sent when a student has reached 10% absenteeism in a grading period. In addition the school is required by law to notify the county attorney.
• When a student reaches 15% absenteeism in a grading period, a School Engagement meeting is required by Iowa law. An Absenteeism Prevention Plan will be created at the School Engagement meeting. The goal of this plan is to work together to resolve absenteeism, address attendance barriers, and assist the student in attending school.
• If the student and/or the student’s guardian fails to attend a School Engagement Meeting, fails to enter into an Absenteeism Prevention Plan, or does not meet the terms of the Absenteeism Prevention Plan, Iowa law provides that the county attorney may initiate a legal proceeding.

Certain absences are exempt from the above process so you will want to include information about your child’s absence when talking with the school.

Specifically, the following absence types will not count towards student absenteeism and will be coded as excused in Infinite Campus:

The following absence types will not count towards student absenteeism and will be coded as excused in Infinite Campus: 

1. Absences related to illness or medical appointment

a. After a student reaches the equivalent of eight (8) days of excused absences, parents will be required to provide documentation for medical absences to be excused.  

b. Families are encouraged to provide documentation for ongoing health concerns to the school so that we can proactively work with your family to best serve your student

2. Absences related to a family medical emergency

3. Absences while attending religious services or receiving religious instruction

a. Religious services may include but are not limited to holiday services, weddings, funerals or other celebrations of life, and other rite of passage religious services.

b. For religious instruction:

• A parent must submit a notification informing the school that the child will be attending religious instruction during the day, indicating the days and times that the student will be absent.
• The student cannot be absent for more than 5 hours a week for religious instruction.
• The organization providing religious instruction must maintain attendance records and provide to the school upon request
• The student must make up any school work not completed while attending religious instruction.

4. Absences excused for sufficient reason by any court of record or judge

5. Absences related to an Individualized Education Program (IEP) that affects attendance

6. Absences related to a Section 504 plan under the Federal Rehabilitation Act that affects attendance

7. Absences related to military service, military entrance processing

8. Absences related to reasonable travel time for attendance at a wedding or funeral as determined by the building administrator based on the travel distance.

9. Absences related to college visits for high school students, as these are considered part of our educational program.

Any absence that does not fall into one of the above categories, will appear as unexcused in Infinite Campus and per State law, will count toward student absenteeism.

Academic Achievement

• Improved Grades: Regular attendance is directly linked to better academic performance. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), students who attend school consistently score higher on standardized tests and have better overall grades.
• Graduation Rates: The NCES also reports that students with consistent attendance are more likely to graduate on time. For instance, high school students with poor attendance are 7.4 times more likely to drop out than their regularly attending peers.

Social and Emotional Development

• Social Skills: Attending school regularly helps students develop critical social skills through interaction with peers and teachers. These interactions are essential for building communication, teamwork, and problem-solving abilities.
• Emotional Stability: Regular attendance provides a stable routine and structure, contributing to emotional well-being. Studies show that students with regular attendance have lower rates of anxiety and depression compared to those with frequent absences.

Long-Term Success

• Higher Education and Employment: Consistent school attendance lays a strong foundation for higher education and future employment. Research from the University of California, Santa Barbara indicates that students with regular attendance are more likely to pursue higher education and secure stable employment.
• Earnings Potential: According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, individuals with higher levels of education and consistent school attendance tend to have higher lifetime earnings. On average, a high school graduate earns about $9,000 more annually compared to a dropout.

Behavioral Benefits

• Reduced Risk Behaviors: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that students who attend school regularly are less likely to engage in risky behaviors, such as substance abuse and criminal activity.
• Positive Habits: Regular attendance instills a sense of discipline and responsibility, fostering positive habits that benefit students throughout their lives.

Notification of Absences: The attendance office should be notified of a student's absence prior to the start of the school day by creating an Absence Request in the Infinite Campus Parent Portal, or by calling the school attendance office. When a student is expected to be in school but is not there, the school will call guardians out of concern for your student’s safety.

Absence: A student is considered absent if they are not physically on school grounds, or are not participating in a required school-directed activity under the direction, supervision, or instructional guidance of educational staff at an approved off-grounds location (ie. a class field trip).

It is understood that students will be absent for a variety of reasons, including illness, family activities, vacations, dentist/medical appointments, funerals, etc. Parents should notify schools of the reason for the absence prior to the start of the school day. The school must be notified of the reason for absence no more than 48 hours from the beginning of the absence, and any required documentation must be provided within 5 school days in order to have the absence excused.

The following absence types will not count towards student absenteeism and will be coded as excused in Infinite Campus: 

1. Absences related to illness or medical appointment

a. After a student reaches the equivalent of eight (8) days of excused absences, parents will be required to provide documentation for medical absences to be excused.  

b. Families are encouraged to provide documentation for ongoing health concerns to the school so that we can proactively work with your family to best serve your student

2. Absences related to a family medical emergency

3. Absences while attending religious services or receiving religious instruction

a. Religious services may include but are not limited to holiday services, weddings, funerals or other celebrations of life, and other rite of passage religious services.

b. For religious instruction:

• A parent must submit a notification informing the school that the child will be attending religious instruction during the day, indicating the days and times that the student will be absent.
• The student cannot be absent for more than 5 hours a week for religious instruction.
• The organization providing religious instruction must maintain attendance records and provide to the school upon request
• The student must make up any school work not completed while attending religious instruction.

4. Absences excused for sufficient reason by any court of record or judge

5. Absences related to an Individualized Education Program (IEP) that affects attendance

6. Absences related to a Section 504 plan under the Federal Rehabilitation Act that affects attendance

7. Absences related to military service, military entrance processing

8. Absences related to reasonable travel time for attendance at a wedding or funeral as determined by the building administrator based on the travel distance.

9. Absences related to college visits for high school students, as these are considered part of our educational program.

Process for addressing absenteeism:

• Schools will send notifications to guardians when a student has reached the 5%, 10%, and 15% absenteeism threshold for the grading period (See chart below).
  • Notifications are sent when a student has accumulated the number of absences that will result in the percentage of unexcused absenteeism at the end of the grading period.  For example, if an elementary student has missed 6 unexcused days of school in a term, the student will be at 10% absenteeism at the end of the grading period, so the 10% notification is sent after the 6th day is missed.
• State law requires a notification be sent to the guardian when a student has reached 10% unexcused absenteeism in a grading period. In addition the school is required by law to notify the county attorney.
• When a student reaches 15% unexcused absenteeism in a grading period, a School Engagement meeting is required by Iowa law if the school has determined that the student’s absences are negatively impacting academic progress.  An Absenteeism Prevention Plan will be created at the School Engagement meeting. The goal of this plan is to work together to resolve absenteeism, address attendance barriers, and assist the student in attending school.
• If the student and/or the student’s guardian fails to attend a School Engagement Meeting, fails to enter into an Absenteeism Prevention Plan, or does not meet the terms of the Absenteeism Prevention Plan, Iowa law provides that the county attorney may initiate a legal proceeding if the school determines that the student’s absences are negatively affecting academic progress.